Zipping to success with hookless fasteners
 

by Aditha Dissanayake

Ever heard of hookless fasteners? Yes, hookless fasteners, which no one at first knew how to operate so much so that they came with instructions? (i.e make sure nothing is caught when you pull up). Yes or no, unless you are wearing a sarong or a sari, there is sure to be at least one of them on you right now. A Zipper.

But why call them hookless fasteners? Why? Because that was what they were called till 1923, when B.F Goodrich heard the z-z-zip sound they made and invented the word "Zipper".

The rest is zipper history. Until 1979, when Tissa Eleperuma ventured out on a business which would soon be manufacturing 3 million yards of nylon and 1.5 million yards of "vision" zippers per month. Called Naturub Industries, his group of companies situated in Panadura, provides services to the giants of the apparel trade industry, Marks and Spencer, NIKE, Next, Liz Clairbone etc. Naturub Exports International (Pvt) Ltd, Naturub Accessories (Pvt) Ltd and Korean TPL Zippers (Pvt) Ltd look after the needs of not only the apparel export industry in Sri Lanka but also export their products to U.S.A, U.K, Germany, Bangladesh, Vietnam etc.

Naturub has eleven companies operating in five major sectors, ranging from apparel accessories to financial services to tea and hydro power. Among their products are elastics, draw cords, webbings, tapes, edgings, shoe and boot laces..., in short, every accessory to meet the dynamic changes in the fashion world.

With over 25 years experience in manufacturing apparel accessories, having grown in capacity, variety, quality and service to have reached the forefront in manufacturing and exporting an ever increasing range of apparel accessories, Naturub is undoubtedly a company which has zipped its way to success.

Here is someone who has proven Woodrow Wilson's dictum, "You should nurse your dreams and protect them through bad times and tough times to the sunshine and light which always come", is true.