Nile diversifies to garments
Shanaaz Carina
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Maiden product: Nile Apparels introduced their latest products
Bonito shirts for men and Flores women’s clothing at Nittambuwa
recently. Manager of Nile Apparels M. Chandrasiri presents the
first product parcel to Chairman R.D.I.S Ranasinghe. Directress,
Hiruni Prasadini looks on. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa
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A company that started business by selling beedi and tobacco in
Warakapola has now diversified to manufacture apparels.
The reason for the diversification was the death of the founder of
the company M. Ranasinghe. The family did not have the expertise to
manage his business and therefore decided to stop it. The new apparel
industry was formed within six months and was branded as Nile Company.
"The management is in process to build a bigger apparel industry.
They have trained about 150 mainly from poor families who live in the
area to be employed in the new factory," the Marketing Manager of the
company Aruna Karunaratne said.
This company's main aim is to design clothes according Sri Lankan
style. "We are in the process of selling 'Bonito schoolboy' shirts for
children.
"We have also designed shirts for youth under our men's brand name,
Bonito," he said. Their ladies products range is branded as 'Flores.'
"We market over 10,000 products a month. "Though this is only the
beginning of the company we have plans to be a major player in the local
market," he said.
"Our marketing strategy is to sell their clothes for a lower price so
that every person could afford to buy them as Sri Lankan people face
financial problems. Since they started this they have also been able to
cover part of their investment.
In future they hope to provide insurance for children, education
facilities, Sports facilities also motorbikes for employees.
Presently they distribute their products to Anuradhapura, Puttalam,
Badulla and Kandy and later into the Colombo market as well.
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