Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine Magazine April 2018 | Page 29

RESOURCE CENTRE
GEO CHEM READY TO LAUNCH
SERVICES IN BANGLADESH
W
ith the Bangladesh industry
growing by leaps and bounds,
scope for the service industry to
support this growth in tune with
global norms is also growing.
Many international brands in the
Testing, Inspection & Certification
(TIC) business have already found
success in the country, but the
gap in terms of industry need is
still wide. Realising this as an
opportunity, Geo Chem Consumer
Product Services is gearing up to
enter the market with a complete
package of solutions and services
that will provide a unique customer
experience to the industry.
Spearheading the move is
Manish Kumar, Global Executive
Vice President, Geo Chem,
who has a strong network in
Bangladesh, having worked in the
country on a previous assignment.
Geo Chem is not new to the quality
assurance and testing industry and
is a well-established name in many
core industries like pharmacy,
petroleum, carbon, minerals,
food, agriculture, etc., since many
decades. Just a year ago, the group
made, its entry into the consumer
goods segment with an office and
lab in India and now the company
has its eyes set on Bangladesh,
one of the fastest growing apparel
manufacturing countries in
the world. The vision is to be a
partner to the industry as it moves
beyond inspections and testing.
The package of services will also
include audits, waste management
and safety solutions. “We already
have an inspection team in
Bangladesh and construction of
our office-cum lab is underway.
We hope to launch this full-service
office by July,” shares Manish.
Strategically, Uttara has been
earmarked for the office set-up
because of its locational advantage.
“One of the biggest challenges
in the country is infrastructure
and we wanted our office to be
accessible and near to the airport,
so Uttara seemed to be the best
choice, though it is more expensive
than other industrial areas on the
outskirts of the city,” says Manish.
Being constructed on 20,000 square
feet area, the office will house all
departments including trained
staff and all machines required
for testing of garments as per
international norms.
Manish has great confidence on
the local talent and intends to
build the office primarily with the
help of locally sourced manpower,
trained to match global standards
in service. Initially, the senior
management will be from India,
but once a local person is groomed
to take the position, the office will
completely represent the ethos
of the country and its needs. “We
are a company that is from South
Asia and the basic temperament
of people in these countries is
very similar. So while western
companies may not empathise
with local concerns, Geo Chem
understands and makes effort to
find solutions that are in synergy
with the mindset of the region,”
says Manish.
With the right use of IT and
technology, Geo Chem hopes to
overcome challenges of customer
awareness for new regulations
and provides a real time update
on customers’ samples and other
services being rendered. Even
in a short span of one year, the
company with a strong presence
in international markets, has
developed an online platform which
can feed clients automatically with
data provided by the team. If there
is any change in regulation, an
email is automatically sent to the
client. A weekly newsletter with the
latest changes in norms also goes
automatically to the clients. These
e-newsletters are the first of their
kind by any third-party auditor.
What Geo Chem promises is a
completely new level of service
and support that will be the
differentiator for the company in
Manish Kumar, Global Executive Vice President, Geo Chem
“We are a company
that is from South
Asia and the basic
temperament of
people in these
countries is
very similar. So
while western
companies may
not empathise with
local concerns, Geo
Chem understands
and makes effort to
find solutions that
are in synergy with
the mindset of the
region.”
– Manish Kumar
the TIC industry. Also, the range
of services offered will outpace
what is being provided by any
other service provider in the
country. “Our vision is clear and
we are ready for all challenges.
Bangladesh is a unique country
which needs support from
companies like us to grow to the
next level. The business volumes
are very high and we will not be
eating into anyone’s share but will
create our own customer base,”
says Manish, who is extremely
excited to be back in Bangladesh
after a long time.
For a young company, the vision
is very far-reaching and post
its establishment of office in
Bangladesh, Geo Chem's next
destination is Vietnam. “We
want to be a global leader in
the TIC domain for the apparel
manufacturing industry, working
not only for international brands,
but also for creating their own
labels and also for developing
domestic markets as per
international norms of quality and
compliance,” concludes Manish
with a futuristic vision.
www.apparelresources.com | APRIL 2018 | Apparel Online Bangladesh
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