Thousand jobs for Trinco with Tri-Star

by Charmaine FERNANDO
 

Tri-Star pioneered the concept of reawakening rural villages with garment manufacturing plants

With an annual turnover of US$ 36 million Tri Star Apparel Exports is expanding to the East in compliance with the government's Eastern Province Development Program. It is estimated to create 1000 jobs for the youth of all ethnic communities when the factory opens its doors in Thambalagamuwa, Trincomalee District said Deshamanya Dr. Kumar Devapura, Chairman, of the Tri-Star Group at the launch of their corporate website www.tristar.org at a function held recently.

Empowering rural communities

With the nationalistic theme of 'empowering the rural communities', Tri-Star Apparel Exports in a pioneering effort ventured in to opening its very first garment factory in Katubedda 30 years ago.

Since then Tri-Star has expanded its garment factory operations in Attidiya closer to Colombo, down South in Kamburupitiya, Ambalantota and Buttala, in the Central Province in Welimada, in the North West in Dambadeniya, Alawa, Giriulla and Humbuluwa.

The main factory is in Ratmalana.

East to experience a reawakening

Now, with the first manufacturing plant of 50,000 sq. ft. reviving operations in Trinco, the youth of the East will experience a reawakening in the aftermath of a war that tore lives apart.

Financial empowerment brings on smiles at Tri-Star

As the families emerge from their cocoon in to financial empowerment, infrastructure, transport facilities, trade and relevant developments will take place to feed the needs of the reawakened new market.

Thus the village of Thambalagamuwa will enjoy an enhanced lifestyle in peace said Dr. Dewapura.

He said that there are over 9,000 LTTErs among the IDPs and 500 women among them will be rehabilitated and trained in the process of garment manufacture in his Trinco garment unit.

In a country where Buddhist doctrine of Ahimsa is practised 22,000 Sinhala youth detainees with JVP links were rehabilitated and absorbed in to the mainstream, with equal rights. The possibilities are many and innumerable, he emphasised, for all communities especially,IDPs,in the reawakened East.

Tri-Star partners Intraport, UK

It was also announced that Tri-Star Group recently entered in to a partnership with one of UK's leading design and sales multinational company, Intraport, with a retail turnover of Euro 45 million, who specialise in brands of international repute the calibre of Marks & Spencer, Bhs, Asda, George, Next, Arcadia Group, M & Co and Laura Ashley.

Becoming a choice supplier of a UK buyer of repute, Tri-Star will share the success story of Intraport's strength and expertise of 35 years in design and sales. "An import duty benefit (GSP+) which enables attractive pricing, poses an immense bonus to Tri-Star customers. "In our own right we are a versatile Group with 3 decades of ethically sourced manufacturing excellence, emerging as the preferred supplier to global brands, giving us the edge over competition.