Nan’s silver jewellery traditions showcased

ChomphuPhuka Co Ltd aims to woo some of the increasing numbers of tourists drawn to the province with its selection of handmade silver jewellery.
“Silver jewellery from Nan has a unique design that draws inspiration from nature, with birds and trees |and the like,” said Tantikorn Wanwiphusit, 33, a member of |the second generation of the Wanwiphusit family who is now managing director of ChomphuPhuka, in a recent interview. “They are hand made by silver jewellery experts who are members of the hill tribes in Nan. These pieces also showcase Nan’s culture and lifestyle. The challenge for tourists is to find the right place to buy and collect them when they visit the province.
“So we plan to promote our products through the museum to show off the history of the area and how they produce silver jewellery here, while presenting our products at the museum.”
He said ChomphuPhuka was established in 1994 with registered capital of Bt1 million by his mother Sopha Wanwiphusit, after a group of silver jewellery artisans in Nan set up the ChomphuPhuka Silver Jewellery Cooperative in 1987.
“My mother earlier owned a grocery business in Baan Bang Ka, in Nan, when the jewellery makers set up the cooperative,” he said. “My mother also joined in with the group and learnt how to distribute the products and set them up for sale at reasonable prices.”
In 1994, Sopha decided to established ChomphuPhuka Co Ltd to produce and distribute silver jewellery on her own, with Bt1 million from her savings, using the brand ChomphuPhuka silver jewellery. 
After starting out with the first shop in Baan Bang Ka, the company now has added a store in Wat Ming Muang. The company also cooperated with the Nan museum to renovate the premises and present the local history while introducing Nan’s silver jewellery tradition to tourists.
Since the business began in 1994, the company has built up the operation to now achieve double-digit sales growth a year. It booked sales of Bt20 million last year and is confident of maintaining sales growth in the double digits this year, Tantikorn said.
He said the Bt7 million investment budget would be used to renovate the company’s outlets and the museum to promote both the jewellery items and other products from the province including food and garments. The move will see the firm collaborate with more than 200 local producers to display their products this year. 
“We cannot grow only for ourselves, but support other local producers in their growth ambitions, so that we grow together,” Tantikorn said. 
After the completion of the renovations this year, the two shops will have the space required for the display of the other local products, Tantikorn said. Some of these products will include those produced under the One Tambon, One Product scheme that is a part of the government’s Pracha Rath concept. The expanded sales display will be a key part of the efforts to maintain the double-digit growth, Tantikorn said.