‘Passion’ is the imperative word when describing the working style of many leading groups in the garmenting business in Bangladesh. The industry is not only a way of making money for many, but is also a journey of evolution that coincides with the growth of the country in a global economy. Today no buyer in garment retailing can ignore the importance of Bangladesh in their sourcing strategy and the country too has stood the test of time to emerge stronger, holding the fourth position in global manufacturing in value terms next only to China, Hong Kong and Italy, the last two of which are doing much smaller volumes but at much higher prices, so cannot in all reality be considered competitors. In this backdrop, talking to MS Hasan, Director – Operations, Amber Group, a leading conglomerate with extensive interest in the denim business was a revelation, as he boldly rubbishes the buyer concept of sustainability, though a firm believer in sustainable practices.
Best described by its rather catchy and appealing tagline, ‘Shape the Future’, Amber Group has a futuristic approach to everything it does, coupled with strong focus on sustainability; sustainability which is built on the principles of human welfare and development and not alone on business objectives, though profitability is the aim as it supports the group’s endeavours related to workers’ well-being and interest. “What the buyers are doing in Bangladesh today is nothing short of coercing the manufacturers to offer the lowest price possible to assure business, but on the other side they are also asking for many things in the name of sustainability, not even bothering if the suppliers are pushed to the brink… Through you, I request them to pay fair prices to ensure real sustainability and to show the minimum sympathy that humanity deserves,” pleads Hasan. The Group, which has diverse business interests – cotton, denim, internet gateway, radio, lifestyle shopping outlet and leisure resort, and helmed by an equally suave Chairman & Managing Director in Showkat Aziz Russell, a national-level snooker champion who represented Bangladesh at various international events.
One of the largest producers of spun yarns for the knitting and weaving industries in Bangladesh, the ISO 9002:2000 accredited Amber Cotton follows a strict ethical code of conducts in its business operations and offers a comprehensive range of yarns for every conveyable end use. Earlier known as Partex Denim, Amber Denim is one of the top three denim producers in Bangladesh with a fully vertically integrated setup in Banglabazar, Rajendrapur, Gazipur (on the outskirts of Dhaka) which commenced production in 2006. To expand its capacity further in face of the rising demands, the unit in 2012 introduced most modern rope dyeing and finishing machine from Morison (USA). Housing 26 selvedge denim looms, Amber is also the first company in Bangladesh to install selvedge denim looms. At Amber, part of raw materials for denim production comes from its very own factories (Amber Rotor Mills Ltd.; Amber Rotor Spinning Mills Ltd.; and Amber Cotton Mills Ltd.) fulfilling its own requirements along with that of the buyers.
Fact File:
Amber cottons are available in greige, bleached, mercerized, gassed, twisted, dyed and in range of fashion yarns like mélange, stretch, blends, high twist, etc.
Washing plant being constructed completely with sustainable and locally available material, with washing capacity of around 50,000 pieces per day.
New garmenting unit spread over 1,10,000 sq. ft. with a capacity of around 45,000 pieces/per day.
Amber lifestyle opened at Jamuna Future Park in October 2014, spread over an expanse of 20,000 sq. ft.
With a history of working with some of the best global retailers Hasan’s dissatisfaction and discontent with the so-called doctrines of sustainability, is understandable. He feels that the focus is on the concept and not the real value. Setting an example, the group is coming up with a new washing plant being constructed completely with sustainable and locally available material, but without the strapping of a Green factory. Hasan’s choice of environment-friendly material is bamboo reinforced with steel, to add durability to the structure while also imparting it an aesthetic feel. Hasan strongly vouches for bamboo’s natural elasticity and strength, ideal for such kind of facilities, which would be further strengthened through various treatments to enhance longevity and make it insect-resistant.
The new unit would be sustainable in its real sense but without any conscious effort on the management’s part to earn an official certification to tag it as eco-friendly or sustainable one. Besides the usual ETP, WTP and other such interventions associated with eco-friendly factories, Amber’s facility which will start operations from July 2016, will have a washing capacity of around 50,000 pieces per day and will boast of natural cooling systems complemented by abundant water bodies to maintain optimum temperature levels while also saving on power consumption. For treatment and filtration of water to be consumed by the washing plant, the company has decided to shun the harmful chemicals and rather go for the natural procedures to purify water.
The ongoing expansion will also include a garmenting unit at Rupganj, Narayanganj in Dhaka. “We are in the textile sector since 1996 and our fabric production capacity is around 3.5 million yards per month but we have no garments. It is perhaps the right time we got into garment manufacturing…,” underlines Hasan about the upcoming unit. Besides, keeping true to Amber’s guiding theory of sustainability for welfare, Hasan, is opting for machines from Juki and Brother which are primarily manpower-dependent for the sewing unit, rather than going for the fully automatic versions that would render many workers jobless. However, to maximize efficiency, he plans to intersperse those with other interventions in the future. Keeping with its tradition of excellence and quality, Amber’s new garmenting unit will be built on the lines of the top-of-the-line manufacturing units in Bangladesh. “For sewing, we already have the structure housed in our old building spread over 1,10,000 sq. ft. and we are now renovating it. The capacity of the unit will be around 45,000 pieces/per day,” informs Hasan.
In another initiative, the group launched Amber Lifestyle two years ago with the aim of bringing international quality western outfits to the growing number of trendy people in Bangladesh. The group is currently constructing the first environment-friendly resort in an area of 35 acres, again using locally available resources. “Bangladesh is on a growth path and we need the world to understand that though we are responsive to business needs for revenue, we are also evolving as a nation and the buyers need to now look at us in a more elevated status,” concludes Hasan.
