To understand any company’s astronomical rise in any industry, it’s imperative to understand the story of the said company.  The story of HATIL, the country’s leading furniture brand, started at a small timber shop in Dhaka’s Farashganj, by the bank of the Buriganga River, almost 60 years ago.   In the firm hands of Alhaj Habibur Rahman, H.A. Timber Industries Limited took shape and became one of the prominent timber businesses in Farashganj, which was then Dhaka’s biggest timber hub.  Over the next 32 years, before HATIL’s formal beginning in 1989, H.A. Timber Industries Limited positioned itself as a key player in the country’s timber industry.  “He was a visionary man with a great reputation,” HATIL’s Company Secretary Md. Rezaul Karim ndc said about the founding chairman.

HATIL’s “Slim is Smart” slogan has global appeal, according to Moshiur Rahman, the furniture brand’s director of marketing.  “At our showrooms abroad, we see that customers like our designs and are interested in them,” he said. “Those who are looking for furniture like IKEA but of slightly better quality and are willing to pay a bit more, prefer HATIL furniture over IKEA's.” Over a span of 26 years, while being an integral part of HATIL, Director of Sales and Marketing Moshiur Rahman has been witness to some of the most pivotal transformations that the nation's foremost furniture brand has undergone. During an exclusive interview with United News of Bangladesh (UNB), Director Moshiur shared his personal journey, HATIL’s sales and marketing strategies that have propelled it to become the nation's top furniture brand, and future prospects, among other topics. ‘Didn’t want to take business as a career’ Before stepping into the realm of HATIL in 1997, Director Moshiur Rahman had some different plans in mind. Despite being one of the five sons of the visionary businessman late Al-Hajj Habibur Rahman, the founder of H.A. Timber Industries Ltd, Moshiur didn't initially aspire to follow in his father's footsteps. “I completed my bachelor's and master's degrees in English literature,” he said.  “I wanted to study English literature and become a teacher, and I also wanted to write,” he added.  Despite his involvement with the country's leading furniture brand, Moshiur continued to pursue his desired path up to a certain point. “I have done some writing, including books of poetry and novels. At some point, I also worked as a teacher at a university (for a few months),” he told UNB.  From ‘for those who could afford’ to ‘for everyone’ As part of the country’s leading furniture brand, Moshiur has been a witness to all the significant transformations in HATIL's business, sales, and marketing strategies over the past 26 years.  “Initially, our strategy was to make furniture not for everyone but for those who could afford the very best. However, our strategy has changed now. We are now targeting not only the affluent but also the middle-class,” he said. For Moshiur Rahman, trade fairs have been the most pivotal part of HATIL’s marketing strategy since 1995 — the first time HATIL participated in a trade fair.  “Participating in trade fairs was a significant part of our marketing strategy because these trade fairs used to provide us with some breakthroughs. We used to experience a significant boost in sales during each fair,” he said.  Read more: Commitment to quality behind HATIL’s success: Director Mahfuzur Rahman “After each fair, we would supply the products showcased for the next one or two months.” These fairs have assisted HATIL in shaping their strategy, enabling them to offer the same product model at various price points, ranging from high-end to more affordable, depending on the materials used in manufacturing these products. “We introduced a unique sofa design for HATIL at the 1997 trade fair. We named this model ‘Mela 97’ and it received around 100 orders,” Moshiur Rahman recalled. “We offered the same model at different price points based on the type of wood we used to manufacture it.”   “This is when we started thinking about how to offer our products at a more reasonable price,” he added.  ‘Slim is smart’ at the center of HATIL’s success Like many other brands in the furniture industry, HATIL's furniture designs differed significantly from the ones we see today. “Our furniture designs were not as modern as they are now; we used to follow more traditional designs,” Moshiur said, referring to the slim and minimalistic design which is at the center of the brand’s success. “People nowadays prefer slim-designed furniture because urban apartments are becoming smaller in size,” he said.