(CFI) is a small parent company that manufactures and electroplates chrome and glass furniture for a small but stable niche market in Trinidad. CFI operates in three markets; (1) Design and manufacture innovative chrome and glass furniture (padded chairs and stools, tables, dinning sets, space savers, pan stands, etc.) for residential and commercial use, (2) Decorative chroming of metal and metal coated items (steel pans, pan stands, metal auto parts, accessories, decorative fixtures & fittings, etc.) and (3) Industrial “hard” chroming (new/repair jobs to plate tools and dies, hydraulic mechanisms, etc.) for the manufacturing sector. History of the company
Founded in 1978, Chrome Furnishers Ltd. was established to fill a small but stable niche in Trinidad’s market for innovative glass and chrome-plated furniture. While the primary focus was the design and production of units for residential and commercial use, management found it feasible to engage in decorative chroming and industrial chrome plating as they showed promising signs of future growth. Originally a subsidiary of the Mustapha Group of Companies , Chrome Furnishers Ltd. was buoyed by instant demand from it’s sister companies and access to their (the group’s) existing customer base. This proved to be invaluable during the initial years of operation since the specialized plant and equipment involved sizable capital and monthly expenditures, which dissuaded other competitors from entering the nascent field. Nevertheless, the company’s mandate was to ultimately sustain itself and eventually become a wholly owned entity, which it did in 1993. Types of Chroming
Trinidad is the birth place of the “steel pan” or “steel drum” (1938) and the musical instrument has become a defining image of the Caribbean isles. Chrome plating and maintaining steel pans provides brisk, year round business. As a Caribbean tourist destination, the island drew a fair share of recreational yachts and sailing vessels and provided yet another sub-segment for the company’s chroming facilities. The decision to invest in Industrial chroming was proving successful as well since the industrial manufacturing sector required a constant stream of high quality plating for tools and dies, hydraulic components, etc.
