Contract Furniture Sourcing in China for Hotel and Property Developers

FBM Furniture is the furniture sourcing line of FBM Sourcing Limited. This page is for hotel and property developers and for the owners and project companies behind them: the people who hold the brief and the budget for a furniture package and want to know how the order will be run before they commit to it. If a contractor runs the package for you, see our page for FF&E contractors.

FBM Furniture works with companies only: Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers. We source commercial furniture in China for overseas projects. Our main markets are North America and Australia.

How this page differs from the product pages

Our product pages, such as hotel guestroom furniture, public area and restaurant furniture and apartment and student accommodation furniture, describe what to specify for each kind of furniture. This page describes the other half of the question: who does what on an order, in what sequence, and what you can check before you commit. Read the product page for the pieces in your schedule and this page for the way the order is run.

What we do for a developer or owner

We find the factories that run the production lines for the products in your schedule, check the specification and the proforma invoice, coordinate drawings, follow production, run quality control, consolidate the goods into full containers, load them and prepare the export documents. Furniture manufacturing is specialised: seating, casegoods, upholstery, metal frames and fixed joinery come from different factories, and we use each factory only for what its line makes.

We are a sourcing agent, working on your side. We do not manufacture, run a showroom or sell a range of our own, so there is no catalogue and no price list. We quote against your schedule, line by line.

Two ways of working

For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price.

• Products we source for you: we take you to suitable factories or markets, or source products to your requirements from the factories that run the production lines, and quote a direct price.
• Suppliers you nominate: you keep a supplier you already use, and we manage the order: we check the specification and the proforma invoice, coordinate drawings, follow production, run quality control, consolidate into full containers, load, and prepare the export documents. After-sales is not included for nominated suppliers: claims fall under the supplier’s own warranty, and we can help you coordinate.

Either way, all quotations, invoices and shipping documents are issued by FBM Sourcing.

How an order runs

1. Sourcing. We take you to suitable factories or markets, or source to your requirements.
2. Proforma invoice. Once your selection is finalized, we issue a proforma invoice with full product details, prices, deposit, warranty period, Incoterm and estimated dates.
3. Deposit. You pay the deposit stated in the proforma invoice.
4. Drawing communication. For custom products such as cabinets and custom furniture, the factory makes 2D drawings, and 3D drawings for millwork, with a detailed material list, and goes back and forth with you until you sign off before production. See our article on shop drawing sign-off on custom contract furniture.
5. Order follow-up and quality control. We follow production closely. Our own QC team checks quantities, dimensions, finish, hardware and packing against the signed-off specification, and you receive a QC report with photos and video. If any products fail to meet the agreed standards, they go back for rework and re-inspection until all goods pass.
6. Balance. We issue an updated proforma invoice that includes shipping costs.
7. Shipping. We arrange container loading and shipment to your destination port, and provide a detailed container loading report. Quotations are EXW as standard, C&F on request, and DDP for certain markets such as the United States.
8. Customs and delivery. Customs clearance and inland transport at the destination are handled by the customer, unless we quote DDP.
9. After-sales. Products we source carry the warranty period stated in the proforma invoice. Within the warranty we replace, supplied ex-works China with freight at your cost, or compensate, and you deal with FBM Sourcing, not the manufacturer. If goods arrive damaged, send us photos or videos within 3 working days so that a claim can be raised with the carrier, insurer or factory.

Where responsibility sits

• The factory that makes it. We buy from the factory that runs the production line for your product.
• Compliance is checked before we quote. Our main markets are North America and Australia, where contract furniture is specified against local standards, so the first step in choosing a factory is checking that it holds the test reports or certifications for that specific product. See our compliance pages for the rules we have read.
• One counterparty. We contract with the factory in our own name, and during the order, communication runs through us.
• Inspection by our own team. Our own QC team checks the goods against the signed-off specification once bulk production is complete and before shipment. Your own project team is welcome to attend the inspection with us.

What to send us

Send your FF&E schedule or product list, room by room, with quantities, plus drawings for any custom pieces, together with the specifications or reference images, the fabric and finish selections and the project destination. See our FF&E schedule checklist for what a complete schedule contains and our page on samples, finishes and approvals for the approval sequence.

Frequently asked questions

Who does FBM Furniture work with?

FBM Furniture works with companies only: developers, general contractors, builders, commercial project owners, interior design and construction companies and FF&E solution providers.

Do you manufacture the furniture or run a showroom?

No. We are a sourcing agent working on your side. We do not manufacture, run a showroom or sell a range of our own, so there is no catalogue or price list. We buy from the factory that runs the production line for each product and quote against your schedule.

What is the minimum order?

A full container. We do not ship loose cargo.

Can a package run without visiting China?

Yes, for company clients with a defined specification. We work from your list and drawings, send photos and video of shortlisted products, courier samples and fabric and finish swatches, and walk you through the selections on video calls.

How is FBM Furniture paid, and who inspects?

For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and your team is welcome to attend.