Hello everyone, I’m Mahison Rory, the Area Manager at K-Timber. Whether we’ve met before in the wood industry or not, I’d like to take this opportunity to share a bit about myself and my journey in this field.
Becoming a manager at one of Africa’s largest timber export companies has been quite a journey, even for someone like me, who has been around wood my entire life. I was born in Thach That, Hanoi, Vietnam—a village famous for its woodcraft. My family is well-known in the village for producing high-quality wooden art pieces. For generations, from my grandfather to my father, and now to me, our wooden shelves, vases, and carvings have been sought after across the country. The intricate details in our work often lead people to think they’re machine-made, but in reality, each piece is handcrafted, taking months to complete.
In 2013, after graduating from the University of Canterbury with a degree in Sales, I started thinking about expanding our family business. One of the biggest challenges was sourcing wood. You might not know, but buying wood in our country is not easy. The price of wood in Vietnam is quite high due to strict government regulations. This made sourcing wood difficult, pushing us to look towards African countries.
In 2014, I made my first trip to Cameroon and met with a few timber suppliers. However, I noticed some issues that needed to be addressed. Then, in 2016, a major turning point occurred when I was introduced to K-Timbers. I decided to try importing a few containers of wood, and everything went smoothly. The wood quality was consistent, the prices were affordable, and when we processed it back in Vietnam, the profit margins were significantly higher compared to domestic wood.
Tim Pham became like a brother to me. He was incredibly generous with his time and knowledge, guiding me and sharing the secrets of the trade, which deepened my passion for the timber industry.
In 2019, I received an unexpected invitation from Tim Pham to join K-Timber. Out of respect for him, I accepted the offer. My journey at K-Timber began during a challenging time when the market was sluggish due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to government restrictions on export policies and limitations on wood exploitation activities, we’ve faced significant challenges in meeting supply chain demands. Despite these difficulties, we remain united and work together to overcome every obstacle.
Up until now, I have successfully exported 800 cubic meters of wood, serving hundreds of business customers across 32 countries.
In conclusion, choosing K-Timber was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. If you’re in need of quality timber, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d be more than happy to assist you.
