Thailand - Preservation House

Date Visited: May 2007
Local Language: Thai

Preservation House

In May 2007 Happy-hammock visited a SAA paper making factory in Northern Thailand. We were looking to get some beautiful logo-printed bags for our products. We found the perfect place in Preservation House. This is an example of Happy-hammock dealing with small businesses.

Preservation House is a family-run business that employs over 100 people in the area at two sites. We visited the main site where they make up the bags, boxes and other products after the raw SAA material paper is already made.

What is "ECO SAA" Paper?

Over 600 years ago in the mountains of Northeastern Burma the Karen Hill-Tribe people found a remarkable bark that naturally peeled from the trunk of this tall broad leafed tree at the end of every rainy season. So begin the craft of making natural paper without destroying or cutting down the tree. The Karen villagers called this the SAA tree or, in English; the Mulberry Tree.

SAA paper products are made from a remarkable and renewable resource which has spawned a thriving cottage industry which helps save and not depelete these tall, beautiful mountain trees.

The Mulberry bark is pounded into a mushy pulp, natural dyes are added, and the watery pulp is put into a screen-covered frame where the water is allowed to drip away. Then they lay the paper in the sun to dry.

Factory Floor

A tour of the factory

We walked around the factory on the main site in order to see some people at work. The place seemed pretty hectic and full to the brim with products but there was also a pleasant atmosphere with women sitting on the floor at their work stations making up orders or chatting in groups. There was even a radio on somewhere.

Packing up and shipping the finished product