Finding a successful automated garment factory is a challenge, but finding one that is laid on the foundation of sustainability and CSR is even rarer, and Quantum Knits, the knits garment manufacturing division of KPR Mill Limited in Coimbatore, is one of them. One among the various facilities of the vertically integrated KPR Group spread out in a very big landscape Quantum Knits, covering 40 acres, is a beautiful role model of how technology, people, environment and profitability move in complete synergy. In an exclusive interaction with Team Apparel Online at their Green factory, S. Dhanabalan, Vice President, Quantum Knits, who has been with the company for over 14 years and is heading the project and reporting directly to the Chairman, shares the vision of the company and what is driving them for growth…
While it may sound very cliché, in reality Quantum Knits, which will cross a turnover of Rs. 350 crore in 2014 was conceived from the idea to construct an ethical knit factory with core competence is fostering customer aspirations. It was very much decided from day one that the factory had to be ‘different’ and a lot of ground work was done before the factory was setup. A core Directors and key people team toured many international factories in various countries, including Vietnam, Bangladesh, Korea, China, Sri Lanka – to study best practices, experts from various countries. Countries like USA, Germany, Korea, Sri Lanka were also roped in to support the effort and finally in 2006 the factory was setup. “We wanted to build a benchmark factory in terms of ethical, technical and environment, and I can proudly say we are one among the best factories in India,” claims Dhanabalan. With 80 production lines comprising of 2,500 machines and 4,000 employees under one roof, the company manufactures 3.2 million garments per month of T-shirts, schoolwear, nightwear, ladies essentials and undergarments mostly for the European market.
Right from the layout of the factory to machine selection to safety control systems to energy saving methods to people recruitment, nothing was neglected when finalizing the factory. “We took the best from whichever factory we visited. While the factory layout is inspired by the Korean model, the material management system, which includes inventory control and cutting department was German inspired,” shares Dhanabalan. Handbooks in local language were distributed to fresh recruited workers so that everyone from the top management to the operator was on the same wave length. “We realized that the way we wanted to work was not possible with those who already had exposure to the garment business. So we picked up many new people and developed them as per our systems and needs.”
In fact, one of the major factors that have gone in favour of the company is that apart from production excellence with right choice of machines and systems, the focus of the company was ‘people’. Inspired by K.P. Ramasamy, Chairman who clearly laid-out the rules for growth, the organization has created a pro-active business environment that is key to success of the company’s performance. The company today is a CT-PAT secured factory, providing dormitories and three square meals a day to its workers and is also encouraging its employees to study, providing all facilities for the same. In fact, special tutorials are held within the campus for various professional courses like Business Management, Commerce, (Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree) Teachers Training, Yoga, Nursing, Animation and Computer Software, Teaching courses to name a few. “We are very proud that most of our workers who are studying their higher education till date, over 15,000 people, have become Graduates and moved out to work in other industries.” The confidence and sense of self-esteem can clearly be seen on the faces of these workers as they go about doing their job. Some other interesting initiatives include yoga classes, a sitting theatre with capacity of 3,500 for movie shows, swimming pool, library, computer lab and fresh and free supply of milk and milk products from the 600 farm cows that the company maintains.
Along with ‘people’, the company is also very conscious of its responsibility to the environment and the various initiatives taken have been recognized by M&S and Decathlon, who have accredited the factory with the Eco-Factory Status and Green Factory Rating, respectively. Today, the factory is completely running on sustainable/green energy generated by the captive capacity of their windmill land Cogen (through Sugarcane) which generates 90 MGW. The waste water is recycled and used for irrigation and all bio waste is converted into biogas for cooking in the factory canteen. Most of all, they have planted more than 4 million trees to see a greener environment tomorrow, and which is another great initiative taken by their Chairman. Further they have a proposal to plant 10 million trees more in the coming days.
Many sustainable types of equipment have been added for value, turbo-ventilators control the humidity in the factory, while Humifog systems using high compressed water are sprayed across the factory for even weather conditions throughout the year. T5 tube lights and servo motors and direct-drive on sewing machines, help to save energy which is constantly measured by energy meters, even the carbon footprints of the factory is measured. No wonder the factory is accredited by OEKO-TEX, SA 8000:2008, ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2009, WRAP, GOTS, Fair Trade and ETI, 5 Star certified for Women’s Employment Code of Conduct, besides being certified by Disney, Walmart and M&S. Quantum Knits also offers a vast range of knit products in organic, BCI and Fair Trade cotton for all three categories – Men, Women and Children.
While most companies consider the expenses made on ‘people’ and ‘environment’ a cost to the company, Quantum Knits perceives them as investment and the management firmly believe that there has to be ‘economic’ stability so as to earn profits to follow through with the various initiatives instituted for the benefit of the workers. – S. Dhanabalan, Vice President, Quantum Knits
While most companies consider the expenses made on ‘people’ and ‘environment’ a cost to the company, Quantum Knits perceives them as investment and the management firmly believe that there has to be ‘economic’ stability so as to earn profits to follow through with the various initiatives instituted for the benefit of the workers. “Our business model is to work with regular buyers and serve them for long running programs. That way the efficiencies are higher and we can be competitive on the prices. Though we are not doing high fashioned styles, we do most of the products with printing and embroidery that is technology dependent and available in-house,” informs Dhanabalan. Each buyer is being serviced by an exclusive team that uses the best of IT-ERP solutions for quick and accurate communication and traceability within departments to serve customers for timely deliveries.
Being an integrated setup from spinning to finished product is also a major edge for the company, and going forward capacities in spinning is planned for expansion with another mill proposal. Further, another garment production unit on the lines of Quantum Knits is also underway, which will be commissioned in January 2015 with 30 lines. “The vision that our Chairman has is to generate as much employment as possible and with our expansions many more quality opportunities will arise,” says Dhanabalan. Yet, the challenges remain and he shared that getting a sustainable price in the current market scenario is among the biggest challenges the industry faces today.
A lean factory, Quantum Knits is not only a visual treat, but also a living example of the firm’s determination of the top management to be ‘ethical’ in the true sense which can actually lead to complete sustainability and benefit not only the workers and the company, but also uplift the community, weaving CSR, which many in this industry do not even apprehend into the harsh and often cut throat world of garment manufacturing. “We are very proud of what we have created and it only goes to prove that if there is a will, no initiative is impossible,” concludes Dhanabalan.
Visionary behind the Dream
The Chairman K.P. Ramasamy is a true leader who with a quiet determination, sets out to make a difference. As a dynamic leader, he recognizes the importance of identifying, developing and empowering other individuals within the organization to create a dynamic and pro-active business environment which has been most vital to the Company’s performance. And the fact that he gives high priority to ethical and social aspects of business is an added feature.
Possessing over 4 decades of experience in the textile industry, encompassing entire aspects of the business, right from raw material to the finished stage, his insight gives business the much needed edge to grow and succeed. He is ably supported by well experienced Managing Directors – K.P.D. Sigamani and P. Natraj along with qualified and competent personnels.
