ABOUT GLOSTER  - www.gloster.com

Gloster's origins as furniture makers go back more than 40 years and today the Gloster name is synonymous worldwide with the best design and the highest quality in outdoor furniture.

Key to our philosophy is the belief that outdoor furniture is as important a style statement as indoor furniture, hence our range incorporates both classic and modern designs to cater for all tastes and requirements. From the traditional to the contemporary, there is something for everyone in the Gloster range.

Whilst we are well known for our teak furniture, recent years have seen the arrival in our range of the, alternative and modern, materials of sling, stainless steel, aluminium and man-made wicker fibre.

However, whatever the raw material used, we believe that quality is everything – we do not cut any corners or manufactures our products to any price-point. You will be able to find cheaper outdoor furniture, but you will not find better …

We hope that you will choose Gloster furniture for your home or garden, and having done so we are confident that you will enjoy it for many years to come.

Manufacturing

Gloster furniture is selected by the most demanding customers who insist on the best and so we believe that we have to be the very best in all that we do – starting with the manufacturing.

Gloster has its own factory near Surabaya in Java , Indonesia which we started nearly 20 years ago. Here we use both traditional and modern methods to achieve production standards that usually well exceed those of most other indoor and outdoor furniture manufacturers.

The factory is located close to the teak plantations, is run by a European management team and employs over 800 people.

In addition to teak, Gloster is expert in the use of a variety of materials for the manufacture of our furniture. Extensive use is made of stainless steel, powder coated aluminium, man-made wicker and sling materials and there are specialist departments within the factory entirely devoted to the working of these materials to the same high standards as our teak components.

We also work in partnership with a few select manufacturers who have specialist skills and techniques that we do not have in our own manufacturing plant. These factories have been chosen because of their ability to produce the highest quality consistent with our standards.

Every piece of Gloster furniture is manufactured to our high standards by skilled furniture makers and each item is hand finished to guarantee years of service in demanding conditions.

Teak & The Environment

Teak trees are not indigenous to Indonesia but climatic conditions on Java are ideal for growing teak. Teak was originally introduced to the islands by Buddhist monks, some 700 years ago. When the Dutch colonised Indonesia in the 19 th Century, they soon realized the opportunity to establish large plantations and introduced the sustainable plantation management systems that are still in use today.

Teak plantations are really no different than any other crop, except that the growing cycle is far longer. Within the plantations, the trees are continuously cared for by the local population and over their lifetime the trees are regularly pruned and the integrity of the plantations carefully maintained. This ultimately results in a better quality of timber – healthier wood, straighter grain and less knots. Ideal for use in outdoor furniture.

We work continually with the managers of the government owned plantations and other interested parties to ensure that everything to do with our use of Teak is environmentally correct.

We take great care that all our manufacturing activities follow good environmental

practices for the good of our people and of the local communities.

Teak Furniture

Teak is a dense, close-grained hardwood with a high natural oil content.

Teak is exceptionally hard wearing, highly resistant to rotting and is almost impervious to the effects of sun, rain, frost or snow. For these reasons, teak is the first choice timber for outdoor furniture.

We control our manufacturing at every level - from hand selection of the finest grade of teak, through kiln drying to processing at our own factory. Kiln drying not only enables us to craft accurate, close fitting joints, but also ensures the stability of the finished furniture in all the climatic conditions it is likely to meet.

Naturally, all teak we use is sourced from sustainable plantations.