8 July 2005
Brimming With Confidence(HKTDC Gifts, Premium & Stationery, Vol 03,2005)
Brimming With ConfidenceGolden Crown Enterprises Int'l Ltd
Among the firm's impressive array of smart and colourful exhibits is the CAPSOR, a two-in-one, zip-off visor and baseball cap. This model stands out as the most eye-catching, which explains why it was voted first runner-up in a recent souvenir design competition organised by the Hong Kong Exporters' Association. A professional manufacturer of caps and hats for more than 20 years, Golden Crown believes it has been able to pull ahead of its competitors "due mainly to us expanding vertically from weaving and dyeing to production", according to director Sally Ngan. Early this year, Golden Crown also opened a self-owned weaving mill in Bangladesh, designed to enable the firm to deal with intensifying market competition and the ever-changing developments in the headwear industry. "The new plant has a monthly capacity of two million yards of fabric and supplies the finest raw materials to our own production factories for conversion into finished goods," Ngan asserts. The mill is supported by a workforce of 250 and an in-house washing facility. The dyeing mill has become one of the largest exporters of woven fabrics in Bangladesh. “We specialise in reactive, vat and pigment dyeing, and also in hard, soft and peach finishes with excellent colour-fastness properties. The mill also has a state-of-the-art laboratory that can apply a variety of coatings to suit different purposes, such as water- and stain-proofing,” Ngan adds. "We can respond swiftly to market changes by developing and producing many new kinds of materials, as well as making use of different fashionable weaving techniques such as dobby and slub." Established in 1976, Golden Crown achieved rapid growth through investment in new machinery and resources for research and development. The firm also seeks to ensure the provision of the best and most up-to-date products and services to its customers, Ngan notes. "There are no short cuts taken at any stage of the production process," she says, "and each item we make is also a work of art. "We have shipped products to markets all over the world, particularly the US, and we are proud of producing headwear under license for world-class companies and sports associations." Golden Crown also owns a factory in the Dhaka Economic Free Zone, where unfavourable practices such as strikes, child labour and unreasonable overtime are prohibited. The 140,000-square-foot factory employs 2,500 workers, including multinational management staff from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. "This factory is well equipped with 15 embroidery machines and the monthly production capacity is around 175,000 dozen caps," Ngan says. "We also have our own label, bar-code printing and box-making facilities there." All of the cotton fabrics used by the factory come from the firm's dyeing mill in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, Golden Crown’s primary factory in Guangzhou on the Chinese mainland - covering 150,000 square feet and providing accommodation and a canteen for its management and 500 workers - is equipped with an array of top-grade hat- and cap-making machines, in addition to 25 embroidery machines. Monthly production capacity is about 30,000 dozen items. "We also offer an impressive line-up of 100% knitted wool hats - in styles such as the beret, the beanie and the Gatsby - using automatic knitting machines imported from Japan," Ngan says. "The production capacity for these items is approximately 4,000 dozen per month." With such a comprehensive cluster of production facilities, Golden Crown is well able to demonstrate the advantages of vertical integration in the headwear business, as well as guarantee top quality items, competitive pricing and prompt delivery. "Hats and caps make great gifts or promotional items," says Ngan, "and we make great hats and caps." WRITTEN BY VANAPA ONGVISES Golden Crown Enterprises Int'l Ltd 4/F, Blks C & D,
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