Bata back to base
The Bata Shoe Company of Ceylon Ltd. has moved its head office and
warehouse back to Ratmalana and this has helped us to cut down a lot of
unnecessary expenditure, said, its Managing Director, R. N. Mollo.

A production line
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The head office and warehouse had to be shifted from Ratmalana in
October 2004 after the workers launched a strike in June 2004. But since
the atmosphere has returned to normalcy we decided to move the head
office and warehouse to Ratmalana for easy management and to cut down
unnecessary expenditure.
He said that the company is making a turnaround after the unrest and
we have already settled our dues including the VRS payments to 140
workers amounting to Rs. 47 million.
At present we are upgrading the product, introducing new designs,
styles and upgrading and renovating our stores to cater to the school
season as well as for Christmas.
Now we don't import a lot of shoes as most of them are manufactured
locally or purchased through contractors. For a year, we introduce
200-300 new designs which include children's shoes, rubber thongs,
ladies shoes, men's and casual wear shoes as well.

R. J. Mollo
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We are planning to have the Schoolboy Cricketer of the Year contest
on October 4 on a grand scale this year. We will be involved in the
Scout Movement as well as we want to be involved with the people of the
country we serve. Mollo said that we will be a force to reckon with in
time to come.
The company uses the latest technology to manufacture high quality
shoes complying with international standards while they are also
exported to countries such as New Zealand, Fiji Islands, Papua New
Guinea and the West Indies. Bata provides its staff a healthy working
environment, welfare and other social facilities and we train our staff
inhouse, send them for locally conducted courses, international
seminars, study courses and conferences. All these measures have
resulted in a well-trained and motivated staff of 600 with a lean
management structure.
The Bata shoe organisation, the world's largest manufacturer and
marketer of footwear has been in operation since 1894 in over 60
countries employing over 67,000 people.
The company has over 70 manufacturing units including shoe
manufacturing plants, engineering plants, production of moulds, quality
control laboratories, hosiery factories, product development centres and
tanneries.
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