NEW PLAYER IN UPSCALE FURNITURE MARKET REDEFINES LUXURY.

Using a combination of old British colonial and traditional African designs, the Tanganyika Trading Company has achieved a level of quality and design that is uncommon in this present day and age.

There's a new name in the luxury furniture industry. The name is the Tanganyika Trading Company (don't worry, I butchered it the first few times I said it too).

Owned by Erik A. Hersman the company draws its name from the old colonial name for the East African nation of Tanzania before it annexed the island of Zanzibar. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida the Tanganyika Trading Company manufactures its wares in Karen, a posh suburb of Nairobi, Kenya named for Karen Blixen the main character in the Hollywood movie "Out of Africa," which was filmed only two minutes away from the workshop's location. In fact, Hersman's father Russ was an extra in the movie.

The company whose tag line is "Out of Africa Comes Luxury," (how appropriate) manufactures Lamu doors, tables, chairs, as well as a variety of accessories which are well suited to the home or office. When asked about the price of his products Erik candidly replies, "To say that our price points are high would be an understatement. We manufacture furniture that is of a Bentley quality, and the price is concurrent."

His long time friend Kamanga Mwangi, whom he roomed with at boarding school in Kenya is the Vice President and Director of Sales and Marketing. Kamanga's father, John who is a former MD and a seasoned businessman heads up the manufacturing, quality assurance, and shipping departments. Mr. Hersman's answer to how the company came into being was this,"[Kamanga] Mwangi and I have known each other for a long time. When we were roomies in boarding school, we'd come up with business ideas and would discuss them long into the night. We knew we wanted to go into business together some day. He's always been very creative and has great advertising experience. His Dad has over 40 years of business experience, so his wisdom is invaluable." Put all this together wth Hersman's experience in logistical matters (he's the COO) and you have a formidable executive management team.

The Tanganyika Trading Company is currently marketing itself mostly to interior and architectural designers, whom it sees as portals to its target market. You can expect to see display advertising in various trade and industry publications beginning in the late summer or early fall. Though exclusively online, plans are under way to open the first "Tanganyika Trading Post" in Florida early next year.