Hoctrade Opening Up New Doors

Opening Up New Doors

From unique, one-of-a-kind product offerings such as glulam to patented window shutters, this company is always pushing the envelope to do fresh, new things.

When Hoctrade was first founded in 1974, it dealt mostly with the yellow-tinted ramin, but today it has expanded to a much greater playing field. Hoctrade is best known for its wide supply of superior timber products such as wooden shutters, french doors, decorative panels, glulam structures, turnings and so much more.

Hoctrade is unafraid to breach into new areas and explore fresh ideas, which is why they specialise in many things. For instance, they are one of the few companies in Malaysia that deal with glulam. Glulam refers to glued laminated timber, and it’s a type of structural engineered wood product that is constituted by layers of dimensional lumber bonded together with extremely durable structural adhesives. To be used as beams, pillars and so much more, the production and application of glulam requires specialists and slightly higher costs compared to alternative materials such as concrete or steel. However, the timber-based glulam is not only beautiful and classy, but it’s also extremely eco-friendly. Plus, despite being equal in strength to other materials, its lightweight and onsite installation is easy when the know-how is there, which it certainly is at Hoctrade.

The Malaysian Timber Industry Board often hosts exhibitions for companies such as Hoctrade to present their products. Ken Ting, the marketing manager at Hoctrade, says that clients at these events will often ask him, “What new things do you have?” This proves that constant innovation is key to staying relevant.

Ting says the trend with timber right now may be leaning into colonial and traditional-styled balustrades, which Hoctrade does offer. He personally enjoys the minimalist style, but the beauty of Hoctrade is that while it provides trendy, innovative designs, it always offers an assortment of products for end-users. For example, the minimalist white wooden window shutters that Ting himself uses at his home proves to be ever-popular with homeowners. The concept of these wooden shutters is nothing new, but the quality of these shutters are unmatched. The wooden control rod used for opening and closing the blades does not loosen despite years of use, allowing users to adjust the blades as they please. Ting says even passersby have asked him about his minimalist white shutters.

It’s easy to view wood as something that is tried and true, but it mustn’t be neglected that there is plenty of invigorating and fresh ideas with wood still. Hoctrade definitely keeps that in mind, as the company is able to emulate all the functionalities of wood, both old and new.