“It also plans to increase production from the current 30 million linear yards to 60 million linear yards in addition to increasing the turnover from $100m to $200m, its US-based chief operating officer Chris Baker told the GDN .”Bahrain is the best place that we could hope to set up a manufacturing base,” he said .”This is in view of its excellent facilities like the availability of a cheap and highly skilled labour force and a very competitive business environment.” . “Mr Baker said the ‘climate to do business’ was also very favourable in the country . “The duty-free status that the exports of our goods from Bahrain to the US will now enjoy, thanks to the Free Trade Agreement, is also a great incentive.” . “He said the company has already started the process of getting machinery from the US to Bahrain for the expansion . “We already have a very efficiently-run plant and we do not need to do much in terms of infrastructure,” said Mr Baker .”However, we will set up a new 18,000 square metre building next to the existing plants.” . “He said the new facilities will be up and running by June next year .The Manama Textile Mills now has 1,500 employees, with 350 Bahrainis . “Over time, our employee strength will reach 3,000, which will include 650 Bahrainis,” said Mr Baker .He said it was becoming increasingly difficult to operate competitively out of the US due to the high labour costs and other issues . “We had been looking to expand our operations to a ‘low cost’ nation and have recently also set up a towel manufacturing plant in Lahore, Pakistan,” said Mr Baker . “He added that the existing deals, which Manama Textiles have with the sellers of cotton in West Africa and polyester in India, would continue . “The amount that we will now import will, however, double,” said Mr Baker .He said choosing Manama Textiles Mills was the natural thing to do . “We have had a very good relationship with the company over many years. Now this relationship has gone further,” said Mr Baker .Manama Textiles Mills chief operation officer Mehtab Ahmed Malik said the deal involved the takeover by West Point Home of three of the company’s units in Askar . “We will still retain the fourth unit, in Sitra,” he said. Mr Malik, however, refused to disclose the amount of money that has changed hands as part of the deal .The yet-to-be-named new company will be headed by Lanier Bobby, as its chief operating officer .West Point Home is the US’s premier manufacturer and marketer of bed and bath home fashions .Source: Gulf Daily News .
Date:9/18/2006
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