Emerald exports 65% of its production

CEO/Managing Director A.F.M. Ikram said, "Today after 50 years, Emerald International (Pvt) Ltd has recorded commendable achievement which is the result of producing high quality products to the market and providing a good customer service. We now have four factories equipped with specialised machinery with a 1,300 - strong skilled workforce and producing over 15,000 dozens of garments per month and 65% of the production is for export, earning valuable foreign exchange for Sri Lanka", he said.

Emerald completes 50 years in operation in Sri Lanka, this year.

The founding Chairman, M.A. Fatha, an importer and distributor of textiles, started his textile business on June 1, 1942, under the name M/s Fatha & Company.

In the early 50's, he ventured into the manufacturing business initially with knitted innerwear. As he established a sound business relationship with the Japanese textile trade, he was encouraged to import and distribute Japanese made shirts. This was before the Japanese became famous for their electrical appliances and toys and much before the advent of Toyotas and Nissans into Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) market.

Encouraged by the success, and with his innovative drive Fatha ventured into manufacturing shirts locally using quality fabric imported solely from Japan.

As an indigenous entrepreneur, Fatha identified "Branding" which enhances the opportunities to the entrepreneur, while benefiting the consumer. He believed this was the best balance for the businessman and consumer.

A separate entity to manufacture only Emerald shirts was set up in 1956 and the foothold established by Emerald went from strength to strength, over the years.

However in the 1960s, due to the then government's policy of restricting the import of textiles without establishing proper alternatives of raw material options to the garment industry, a heavy blow was dealt to Emerald.

As the locally made textiles had not gained at least the minimum standards already established by the Emerald brand, it had no alternative, but to curtail the production and by the beginning of the 1970s, the manufacturing arm of Emerald went dormant.

The opening of the economy in the late 70s and the rapid growth achieved by the economy subsequently, provided new opportunities for the brand, and paved the way for its revival. A dedicated production plant to manufacture shirts was opened in 1985 and was able to re-establish its name in the market in the shortest possible time, offsetting the loss of equity the brand suffered from the mid 1960's to mid 1980's.

The reputation gained in the domestic market rekindled the interest of the local agents of the foreign buying offices who were getting internationally reputed brands of shirts manufactured in Sri Lanka. The downturn of the local economy brought in by the post Indo-Lanka Accord, in Sri Lanka, was turned into an opportunity by Emerald, by diversifying the capacity to cater to the export market.

This gave tremendous boost to the confidence of Emerald, to believe in that Sri Lanka can and need not be second to any, if it can put in the hard work with resolve and dedication.

While exporting shirts to UK under its own label, since it became the only Sri Lankan shirt to do so in 2000, Emerald also makes shirts for international brands, such as Nautica, Gap, Austin Reed and After Hours.

Today in the domestic market, Emerald has a very strong brand equity and a distribution network of over 400 dealers islandwide, selling Sri Lanka's leading menswear products under the well known brands - Emerald, Focuss, Emerald Leonardo, Class One, Mansak, Skore e-Phoch, Cromozome and Runn.

Emerald is the exclusive supplier of custom made shirts and neck ties for leading Sri Lankan corporate bodies, such as SriLankan Airlines, Sri Lanka Telecom, Ceylon Tobacco Company, Maharaja organisation, DFCC, SLIM, Dialog, American and Efird.

The shirt maker is today being driven by a dedicated, efficient and highly skilled staff, under the guidance of CEO/Managing Director A.F.M.Ikram and the Executive Director M.M.M. Ihsan.