SILVER LINE GROUP is the largest conglomerate in the textile and apparel sector in Bangladesh. The quest for excellence in services and capacity expansions for meeting global needs and competitiveness is as fresh and dynamic as ever. Silver Line Group has a mission to achieve excellence in the production & delivery of high-quality Spinning, Textile, and Garment products with innovative value additions in each stage and remain globally competitive through the implementation of effective mechanisms of high operational efficiencies. Their main focus is on keeping valuable customers as their core partners and fulfilling their every requirement. They want to grow together with all their customers by serving their needs effectively. Their focus also remains on social & environmental commitments to have green project status. They have 4 subsidiaries (Yarn, Fabric, Apparel, and Dyeing & Printing) with the most prominent one being SILVER COMPOSITE TEXTILES MILLS Ltd. Recently, the dynamic leader, visionary person, and technically expert Mr. Helal Mohammed Nuri, CEO of Silver Line Group, talked with team Textile Focus. For our readers, the conversation is drafted below.
Q. Impact of Russia Ukraine War on Garment Business?
Helal Mohammad Nuri: The post-pandemic Russia-Ukraine war has had a profound effect on our garment business. Although our main customers include Russia, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the US, and the European Union. Although we are not able to send goods directly to Russia. Even then our Russian Buyer is still taking goods from us and making payments with some limitations. We are sending products to turkey and they are taking goods by road from Turkey to Russia. In the case of Russia, there is some slow movement, but not in the case of America and Europe. Due to the internal conditions of China, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Cambodia, Buyers give priority to Bangladesh as a sourcing country. One of the reasons why Buyers are taking merchandise from Bangladesh is that quality is now the first priority for us. Another reason is that most of the factories in Bangladesh now comply with compliance and health security. Our garment industry has been updated a lot. Even many Buyers are giving us more price than last year. In the last four or five months, the number of orders placed in Bangladesh is much higher. Right now, it’s time to deliver the product in time with proper quality. If we can continue to work while maintaining quality, then the current order in Bangladesh will continue.
Q. What kinds of challenges facing in the woven sector?
Helal Mohammad Nuri: We are facing some challenges in the woven items, if we source an accessory or fabric from China, then logistics is a big hurdle. Both logistics costs and lead time have increased due to the global freight situation. Several factories in China have closed due to the Covid situation. In that case, if we purchase any material from China, it gets delayed. But in our case, the biggest benefit is that we have a vertical setup. We are able to meet all the challenges even if it is a little late because our own backward link is strong. Many factories are not able to place an order, due to a shortage of raw materials. Orders are being canceled due to the lack of vertical setup of most of the factories in Bangladesh. In that case, Silverline Group is successfully running our own spinning, textile, and garments setup.
Q. What kinds of opportunities you are observing in the Woven sector?
Helal Mohammad Nuri: If the factories that make the shirt item suddenly start making pants, then the productivity decreases a bit. As the production pattern is different for these two items. But if they have technically skilled workers who can do this change over very easily then there is not much of a problem for them. I would like to talk about another opportunity which is that there are very few high-quality jackets in Bangladesh. In the past, customers did not choose Bangladesh for jackets, but nowadays, due to some good jacket factories, customers are looking at Bangladesh as jacket sourcing. Jacket is one of the value-added items. So, if anyone starts to invest in the woven sector, I will suggest moving into the Jacket industry. If this is the case then the customers will know that Bangladesh is not the only industry for making T-Shirt, Woven shirts but also jackets are made here and a good impression will be made.
Q. The product line for Silverline group?
Helal Mohammad Nuri: We started our journey with the woven shirt and now we moved into pants and denim as well. Our next plan is to move on to a Jacket factory that will have 80 lines. As well as we are parallel moving into a knit composite set up along with a denim washing plant. Silverline is going to be a hub for all kinds of garments items in Bangladesh within 2024.
