Ultimate Design

15 Collection Brief

1. Ultimate design
2. The SFG story
3. Organization
4. Market international presence
5. Trend report
6. Specification and client segmentation
7. Client Segment

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1. Ultimate Design

Ultimate Design is a light-hearted brand that is fun and exciting. Its unique position
between the stylized classics and the modern builds on a thirty year long wood
craftsmanship tradition that has differentiated Ultimate’s parent company SFG.
Ultimate Design builds on that with a strong design culture that seeks to bring out the
richness of wood in a contemporary language. In short Ultimate celebrates the meeting
of the craft and design.

The Ultimate Brand Personality

Ultimate Design is a rebel but not just any rebel. Ultimate has strong deep roots but enjoys
living in the present. It is a brand that loves to take risks and to live on the edge and here
lies its attraction and sensuality. Yet as far as value, quality, and content are concerned
Ultimate is dead serious and uncompromising.

The Ultimate Contract Division

Besides its refined brand qualities, Ultimate is structured as an industrial powerhouse
with the capacity to cater to large-scale projects with high design and quality standards.
It has built the knowhow and capacity to manage the production need for large-scale
projects that require special levels of quality and consistency.

Ultimate is a member of the SFG Family

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Ultimate is one of three brands that together make up the Shoulah Furniture Group (SFG)
Family. The SFG philosophy is driven by a highly focused value creation approach. Its
customer focus leads it towards diversification within the furniture sector so as to address
the respective needs of its target segments directly. All the brands in the Group have a
clear and separate positioning and share no overlaps in terms of market perception. The
current Group structure can be summarized as:
Shoulah Classics – elegant and innovative classical furniture priding itself on extremely
high hand carving skills, targeting the appreciative international market.

Ultimate Design - bold contemporary designs for the modern young homes looking for
individuality and excitement without giving up value.

Massar – contemporary home furniture that celebrates the value of wood and makes it
accessible to the young couples looking for value.

2. The SFG story

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SFG Origins

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Shoulah Furniture Group owes its origins to Damietta, the wood capital of Egypt. The
name Damietta is a corruption of the ancient Coptic "Tamiatti". In the Pharaonic eras it
was known as the land of water or “Tamit”. This important port on the Nile has always
played an important role in the history of the country not only commercially but also
politically, as it was the focus of several attacks by the crusades. This important position
has developed Damietta into the heart of the wood-working and specifically the furniture
industry in Egypt.

The extensive confrontations with the European crusades over the centuries probably had
a lot to do with the development of the classical furniture traditions in Damietta, so much
so that today it is only second to Italy in that industry. Hand carving has become the
Damiettan’s specialty, and consequently, wood has become their most important
material. It is hard to find a Damiettan who is not connected to the wood industry in some
way or other.

Mission
Through our craftsmanship and progressive philosophy we produce furniture
masterpieces that add value and growth to our partners and our co-workers.

Vision
To establish a strong and unique mark in the international furniture field.

Values
We are a value driven company. We believe in:
Integrity … in all our relationships ensured by our transparency
Respect … everything is rooted in our respect for work, wood, and ourselves
Professionalism … for us this means integrating commitment with experience and focus
on quality
Innovation … we believe in human’s endless potential for development

3. Organization

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Team
SFG is a people centered organization. Our roots in the traditions of hand craftsmanship
have taught us to see in the block of wood many potentials for creative ideas provided
the experienced craftsman handled it. We have extended this attitude into our corporate
culture. We believe every member of our team has the ability and potentials to exceed
their own expectations if only we support them and provide them with the necessary
guidance and opportunities to become masters in their own fields. In the same manner
that any masterpiece of furniture requires a coordinated team of craftsmen to handle it
so works the SFG team.

 Professional Standards
To succeed in the international arena, we have to uphold the toughest international
operating standards. This has led us to employ the assistance of international consultants
and operators to implement the latest production technologies and management systems
to help bring our production facilities to meet those standards. It makes both good
business sense and smart and safe operating sense. We are currently certified for ISO
9001 and 18001.

SFG Guarantee
We take pride with our reliability in all aspects of the business, and accordingly we
approach every new client as a potential life-long partner. This means that they receive
from us the SFG guarantee against production related faults, as well as a guarantee
against feeling any form of dissatisfaction arising from their relationship with us. Our
uncompromising quality standards give us the confidence to give such a guarantee.

Service & Support

SFG places a great deal of emphasis on client support, be that during the initial order
stages or after sales support. For this reason we invest in making our customer service
department our most important support department. We are responsive and fast. Any
defects in shipping or handling are quickly replaced; and these services continue
throughout the life of the product. Our extensive experience in international shipping also
allows us to provide our international partners with the timely and consistent shipping
and handling support wherever they may be located.

SFG Production Resources

Production Facilities
Our production facilities have been growing at a considerable pace to meet the growing
production demands. Our current factories occupy a total area of 14,000 square meters
distributed amongst two large factories located in New Damietta and over 20 small
facilities dedicated to the hand carving processes located in old Damietta city. Another
plot of land with an area of 13,500 square meters has been dedicated to house planed
future expansion in the coming three years.

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Production Equipment
Our production resources include the full spectrum of equipment and machinery ranging
from the highly sophisticated multi-axes CNC machines to the traditional manual ones
most suitable for classical furniture production. Operating these is a workforce of over
three hundred and fifty craftsmen and technicians, with less than ten percent of them
support services. We have just completed installation of a mechanized chair-making
factory.

Production Process
Our belief in bringing our production capabilities to international competitive standards
has led us to invest heavily in upgrading our processes. Our collaboration with
international partners has helped us implement the latest production management
software and technologies (IMOS). This resulted in considerable streamlining of our
production processes and should lead the way towards our planned doubling of
production capacity within the next eighteen months. This partnership also led to the
presence of a German production manager on site to help meet the targets.

Production Capacity
SFG brands have an extremely efficient production process that allow us to deliver an
average of 50 complete classical room sets per month in addition to an average of 600
contemporary rooms per month. Our plans are to double this capacity within less than
two years for our modern lines.

Market international presence

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We have developed throughout the last ten years when SFG started opening its
international markets an extensive list of illustrious clients on the international market
located in countries like Italy, France, Russia, Ukraine and the Gulf Cooperation
Countries (GCC)

Brand Position

5. Market Trends 14/15

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How does the world of fashion influence the world of furniture design?
The fashion industry could be adapted to the furniture industry to help close the
industry`s gab intellectually and preserve the incentive for the furniture industry to
invest in creating original designs. In order to revitalize the furniture industry and
protect it`s original and innovative designs. The furniture should push for their own
reforms and become fashion forwards. The fashion has been inspired by the 60`s and
70`s and this has spread into the furniture sector as well, specially the palm springs,
bright colors and patterns with a retro influence.

Furniture trends
Furniture trends blend new looks with classic styles that have come back after decades
in the shadows. From stylish classic armchairs and sofas complete with floral and
patterns to minimalistic bedrooms furniture. Furniture styles are mix of new and old
looks with some serious doses of color thrown in.

Color trends

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After years of leather sofas catching people`s attention, solid-colored fabrics sofas and
other living room furniture are on the way back in. Solid-colored fabric furniture can
blend in long side classic furniture on the ultra modern living. Solid-colors can transform
a classic sofa into an eye catching item for the modern living.

Materials trend
Materials trends are an important part with toned steel and glass that gives the design
innovation possibilities. Wood is the most dominate material for furniture design and
metals are still popular, especially gold and bronze. In 2015, Metals are mainly
combined with other materials, such as: the base of the chairs and tables or as details
on the furniture.

Design proportions
Curves and bending shapes became the main concept for the furniture trends in 2015.
The different lengths overtaking the standard measurements in the furniture design.
Moreover zero joints technology is now established in edge processing as a new
technique.

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6. Specification

We need to design a new collection:

Bedroom
Dining room
Living room
TV Unit

By following these points:

1. Research
2. Idea generation
3. Concept
4. Development
5. Prototype making
6. Production

You have to work on design projects to develop your understanding of furniture in

domestic and commercial environments. This range helps you to consider the needs of
different users. You also must gain awareness of computer-aided design and
manufacture, small to mass scale production and business and marketing issues.

You also have to Develop your creative ability with a design culture that considers all
aspects of furniture and related product design, and a philosophy that thrives on new
ideas, new ways of doing things and the exploration of creative possibilities.

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7. Client segmentation

CLASS KEY FEATURES OTHER PROPERTIES PREFRENCES

(A) • Married couples •Recommendations • Antiques topping

between 35-55 from friends and their interests as well
years relatives have a as integrated
• Staying in private strong influence on furniture collection
villas or apartments the purchase
characterized by decision. • Tend to buy
large areas of well • Usually use a furniture classical
being and technical opinion nature and meaning
prosperity. • Women are usually of luxury and
• Live in modern be the decision- sophistication.
populated areas makers. • Detailed prefer
such as the Sixth of products specifically
October, Katameya, for them.
New Cairo, • Uniqueness
Madinty, and so on. acquisition of
• Household antiques.
income of at least • Always looking for
30,000 Egyptian the best service to
Pound monthly the customer and
after-sales service.
• Always looking for
a quality product and
a private finishing.
(B) • Married couples • Often a husband • Furniture combines
ages ranging from and wife subscribers modern and classical
30-55 years in the selection • Medium prices and
•Living homes are process and above average
medium sized, and decision-making. • High quality in the
small villas. • Mothers always manufacturing and
Living in the involved in the finishing
modern population decision-making • High quality in
areas such as the processes. customer service and
Sixth of October, • The social image, after-sales service
Katameya, New the type of relations, • Innovative and
Cairo, Madinty, and the quality of modern designs.
so on. furniture, and the • Tend to buy units
•Fixed income of manufacturer's integrated furniture
not less than 15,000 reputation is a key as well as the

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Egyptian Pound factor in the purchase of separate
Monthly. purchasing decision. pieces.
• Receiving financial • In some cases, the
support from their use of experienced
parents or a down engineers Decoration
payment for the
processing of banks
marital home.

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