I am an end-to-end apparel sector professional with over 30+ years of experience in working with the UK & EU high street markets.MY ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNEY IN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY SO FAR...• International Apparel Sourcing (Pvt) Ltd began with 4 people, as a sourcing operation out of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in addition to a small amount of clothing production in India. Grew to accommodate a staff of 35 working with over a dozen major companies in the island, catering towards casual and jersey garment production.• Dissolved due to high cost of producing similar products in Sri Lanka and rebranded as Design Studio (Pvt) Ltd, moving into softs and tailored garment production, starting with as little as 500-piece-orders competing fiercely with China and Eastern Europe and gradually building the business.• Design Studio Manufacturing (Pvt) Ltd – a Board of Investment-listed company – acquired its first production plant in Nikaweratiya, restructuring what was a bankrupt organisation with only 125 employees into a thriving operation of 700+ direct staff members with state-of-the-art machinery, in under 12 months, meeting the demand for a quick turnaround and flexibility.• Built D2 Clothing (Pvt) Ltd from the ground up on an abandoned site in Anuradhapura, beginning with 75 employees and minimal facilities but today housing another 700+ skilled employees utilising the best equipment in town.• Shortly established a third unit in the same area, recruiting a staff of 500, moving to a brand-new facility of 50,000 sq. ft. through a USD 3 million expansion project incl. automation within the factories.• Launched Studio 21 Ltd as the group’s first marketing and design office within the UK.• The overall business caters primarily to the UK & European highstreet inc. Next, Primark, ASOS, River Island and Sainsbury’s in high-end ladieswear, managing 3000+ employees.CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY• A major reason behind taking investment outside the city is to revive the rural communities, where employees – often the only breadwinner of the family – receive extensive on- and off-the-job vocational training, thereby rendering a skilled population; as well as free meals, transport, access to filtered water, medical insurance and social security.• In addition to direct employment, the operations make many indirect emoluments to those providing transport, food etc.• Contributions include the provision of annual scholarships to the children of our workforce, building or renovating houses, schools and hospitals, and regular sponsorship of village activities.
