Strictly maintaining its commitment and following the 3Q policy of Quality first, Quality last and Quality always (QQQ), Meek Sweaters, operating around 950 hand-flat knitting machines, is now putting up a new factory with fully automated Stoll machines, to meet increasing buyers’ demand. “The decision to set up a new factory is purely due to my buyers’ insistence, as they are now looking at finer gauge sweaters,” says M.A. Mannan, Managing Director of the company. The Gazipur (Tongi)-based company’s biggest buyer is C&A followed by Coolcat, V&D, QVC, Klingel, MS Mode, Mim, and Tally WEIJL. “Once this plant is operational (by 2016 end), I’ll be able to cater to more high-value buyers,” he adds. The new 60,000 sq. ft. six-storey building has been designed with the latest building codes and compliance norms.
Mannan, who has earlier worked in a knitwear factory and a buying house, has knowledge of production as well as of the buying side of the business, which has helped him grow his enterprise. Today, the 5-year old company is already a good name amongst sweater manufacturers with a current turnover of US $ 8 million. The vision is to touch a turnover of US $ 20 million by 2016.
To achieve reasonable targets in a market saturated with sweater manufacturers, Meek Sweaters had to create its own niche, which Mannan did by taking up the challenge of working for a German catalogue buyer who demanded AQL 1.5 quality levels, while offering an attractive price and good volumes. The company employed no less than 18 quality inspectors and placed them at various critical points such as yarn procurement, accessories, knit panel preparation, linking, and post-washing. “With the quality systems in place, I’m able to deliver the required quality, and demand doubles the average market FOB for our sweaters,” avers Mannan proudly.
Interestingly, Mannan rewards his employees for being vigilant of any wrong doing/malpractice within the company to prevent/control any incidence of damage. “I have planted informers in each section and I give them BDT 200 as reward for every information provided by them,” laughingly shares Mannan.
