Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine April Issue 2019 | Page 36

RESOURCE CENTRE HAVE YOUR SAY BREAKING NEWS Tell us your news by emailing at [email protected] To read the latest sustainability news, go to https://apparelresources.com/business-news/sustainability/  DyStar opens Texanlab in Bangladesh T extile dye and chemical supplier DyStar opened a testing laboratory, Texanlab Bangladesh Private Limited, in Dhaka recently to support the industry in reducing the use of harmful chemicals in the supply chain and creating a cleaner environment. The textile laboratory will serve Bangladesh’s export industry with testing services and provide end-to-end solutions in the supply chain. Apparel Online Bangladesh caught up with some senior officials after the inauguration ceremony to know more about the new lab and its relevance and importance for the Bangladesh garment sector. Here are the excerpts… AOB: How important is Bangladesh for you and why? Eric Hopmann, CEO, Dystar Group: We think Bangladesh is a very good market and that’s why we are here. DyStar is a leading manufacturer of textile dyes and chemicals and Bangladesh is a fast growing market. The apparel export statistics of Bangladesh says it all… It’s growing very, very fast. For us, Bangladesh is not a market to stay for a couple of years, register some growth and move on. We would stay and continue to grow as does the industry. This requires continuous presence and good customer support. Supporting customers mean one side producing and supplying chemicals that will meet the requirements of the retailers. Somebody has to make sure that whatever our customers produce for retailers using our products or maybe other supplier products meet the requisite standards of all retailers’ requirements, which is a bit complicated as retailers have different needs. With TexanLab’s vast experience and expertise, we are now expanding in Bangladesh, which is a very important market for DyStar as much as it is for Texanlab. Vinod Kumar, GM, Texanlab: In India, we are working for last three decades, and we are one of those with highest level of expertise not only in final product testing but also in raw materials, dyes and auxiliaries. At present, ours is the only lab that has all the expertise. From raw materials to end products, we do all the required tests. As far as Bangladesh is concerned, it is the second largest apparel exporter after China. As we have very strong operational base in India, we wanted to expand our services to our clients in Bangladesh. Earlier, they had to send samples to India for testing but now with Texanlab in the country, we can offer the same services, much faster and at the doorstep. AOB: What is Texanlab’s specialty that makes it different from other labs? Vinod Kumar: Being part of a DyStar Group company, we are experts in dyes and chemicals, which means if one faces an issue during the processing or dyeing or printing of any product for any brand, Texanlab not only gives the test report, but also gives solutions to the customer through its expertise in dyes and chemicals. If most other labs just give pass testing report, Texanlab gives complete solution for any issue faced in the whole supply chain, which is our USP… Apart from testing, we also provide colour fastness testing services to the supply chain and suppliers and in case they face any issue with colour fastness during production, dyeing and processing, Texanlab can help overcome all the issues, which distinguishes us from others. AOB: With so many new labs coming to the country, is this field not getting too competitive and price-sensitive? 36 Apparel Online Bangladesh | APRIL 2019 | www.apparelresources.com We believe in our services, which are very fast and price-competitive as well. In majority of the cases, brands and retailers decide on the nomination of the laboratories as well as the cost part. However, we as a company believe in giving our best service to the industries and maintaining good relationship with brands and retailers, which are our growth mantras. — Vinod Kumar Eric Hopmann: In Europe and America, retailers are getting more and more stringent in terms of their fabric testing requirements. Considering the present scenario, to be successful in this field, one needs to have diverse abilities and also needs to be technically very sound to understand the requirements. Besides, testing processes have become very detailed and elaborate so as to pick up the exact problem with a certain chemical and its ecological implications, which not all labs can do. Vinod Kumar: We believe in our services, which is very fast and price- competitive as well. In majority of the cases, brands and retailers decide on the nomination of the laboratories as well as the cost part. However, we as a company believe in giving our best service to the industries and maintaining good relationship with brands and retailers, which are our growth mantras. AOB: What is your strategy to ensure deeper penetration in the industry? Eric Hopmann: For this, we need to first understand where are the retailers’ requirements… it’s changing all the time. But once we know their requirements, we try to adapt our services to best suit their needs and requirements. For example, Texanlab tests fabrics as well as chemicals. In fabric testing itself, we need to develop strategies, processes, contact the retailers and work out the whole process. Most importantly, retailers these days have realised that they have to focus more on sustainability. Even American retailers are focusing more on physical properties and chemical impacts on garments. We, as an independent entity, provide best services and anyone can avail our services to their satisfaction.