Originally established in 1975 as the Handicraft Department of the Ministry of Information and Culture and renamed the State Enterprise of Cultural Production in 1988, the Cultural Production Company acquired its current name and was relocated to its present address in Vientiane’s Saysettha District in 1994. With a total staff complement of 34, most of whom were trained at the National Faculty of Fine Arts, it comprises five sections: an Import-Export Section, a Buddha Sculpture Section, a Woodwork Section, a Metalwork Section and a Ceramics Section. Today the company’s most successful and profitable activity is its role as the state supplier of Buddha statues for temples around the country, mainly in the style of Wat Ong Tu, though it can apparently produce any style on demand. A small on-site shop sells crafts produced by the company to visitors; current plans envisage expanding this retail operation.