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Staff Writer
Downtown Bangkok isn’t necessarily the best location to consider a spot of gardening, although things may be on the up for those folks who love to nurture their small or miniature city gardens.
Kanlayani Jiumsakul worked with a major ceramic exporter in the US before opening her Liken Europe Union company in Thailand. The firm produces accessories for mini gardens belonging to people located in big cities. Kanlayani produces these accessories, featuring mainly ceramics and pottery, under the brand name Liken. 
Unique charm
She says it’s impossible for a small ceramic producer like Liken to fight with larger companies in terms of pricing strategies, so it meant producing unique products with attention to detail and a high degree of creativity to make Liken stand out from other producers.
Many materials, such as ceramic, material, paper, and ropes are blended to form garden accessories. However, Liken products must be practical and serve a purpose.
“We aimed for people who like being at home and so we began offering products to answer needs at home, starting with ceramic dining sets and then expanded into garden accessories,” she said. Having lived in a condominium herself, she understood how everyone still wants to be able to grow things at home in a small garden or miniature garden.
Packs of punch
Most Liken products are sold in sets since it makes the products more appealing and helps them to stand out on the shelves a bit more. She said attractive packaging was able to improve profits vastly.
“We choose to group products and package them nicely. So instead of just selling a piece of pottery, we decorate it and combine it with other products.”
“I think this also helps customers understand our thoughtfulness and creativity,” Kanlayani said.
She said another benefit was that the products are so delicate, large companies are not interested in counterfeiting the company’s products.
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With no academic background in design, Kanlayani has developed a huge range of products and product ideas. She enjoys, she says, seeking out raw materials and then adding her own personal twist.
Liken also produces tableware and items aimed at pet owners. Its one thousand products cost from 10 baht (US$0.33) to 1,000 baht.
Products are usually made in small batches of between 50-100 pieces, which means they stand out from mass-produced items. But this could involve higher costs, posing a threat to competitiveness when compared with China.
The company began nine years ago and now has 12 employees. Most of the ceramic work is outsourced to allied factories, while handmade products are crafted by villagers in and around the cities of Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
Liken has exported its products to Japan, Korea, and the UK, but has focused more heavily on the domestic market over the past couple of years.
Like has produced items for large organizations and currently has a showcase of some of its products at the Loft in Siam Square Center.
Kanlayani said the company plans to organize more marketing activities in Thailand and also open a retail outlet to better reach teenagers and workers. The company estimates it will record revenue of about 70 million baht for 2008.
For further information, call Tel: +66 (0)2 729 2568-9, or +66 (0)81 870 4432. - Translated into English and republished with the kind permission of Manager Online.
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