The success of any enterprise can be measured in two ways, the trail of consistent growth and the goodwill and trust created among both business partners and customers alike… This is true for Mumbai based Trimurti Polymers, which has not only seen growth in business but is today the exclusive India licensee of UK hanger pioneers Braiform. Evolving from being just hanger manufacturer for the brand, Trimurti Polymers is now set to take charge of Indian market with global nominations of Braiform. Team AO recently caught up with the India team of Braiform and Naresh Chandan, MD, Trimurti Polymers for a one-o-one on the new positioning and how the group is geared up for growth…
The team at Braiform is very upbeat of the new extended tie-up with Trimurti Polymers which they believe is a win-win situation for both partners. “Trimurti Polymers has been working with Braitrim for the past 15 years for our European business, but now that the parent company has acquired a new name Braiform – (Braitrim & Plastiform), the management has shown greater faith and assigned Trimurti Polymers a bigger role, which will now give them access to the huge US market too,” says VP Ram, Operations Manager, Braiform India.
Besides nominations from Walmart and K-mart, the two biggest retailers in the US, the license will also allow the team to capture market share of other retailers looking for ‘VICS’ certified hangers. “It’s been 2 years that Braiform is absent in the Indian market for US hanger range but now that they have given responsibility to us, renewed efforts will be made to capture this huge market,” informs Naresh.
Very excited about the expanded market opportunities, Naresh Chandan has already invested in bigger capacities in anticipation of business growth. “Our very state-of-the-art factory in Daman has the capacity to manufacture 3,00,000 pieces per day of different types of hangers suited for varied products from socks to fashion and diverse brand/retailer needs in Europe and US,” shares Naresh. The factory is a fully compliant unit and even has fire safety norms in place. “As of today, a lot of the units even for Walmart don’t have fire fighting equipments, they just have fire extinguishers, but we have gone for complete fire-fighting equipment after the Bangladesh incident so we have sprinklers, smoke alarms, hydrants and everything,” says Naresh proudly.
Besides obligation to compliance norms, sustainability is another major commitment at Braiform and the company is collaborating with some leading brands to support ‘reuse’ of hangers. “Every week our people go to each and every store to collect hangers that customers voluntarily leave behind and send them to redistribution and recycling centres in UK and the US. At these centres the hangers are washed, cleaned and taken for quality check, after which they are packed and shipped back to all garmenting hubs to be offered again to the garment manufacturers at a ‘reuse price’,” shares Ram.
Already a well established name in hanger manufacturing, Trimurti Polymers is supplying hangers to brands like Matalan, Peacocks, C&A, Debenhams, Mothercare, BHS to name a few. Recently the company has entered into the domestic retail market and is already working with stores like Westside, Tata Trends and Shopper’s Stop. “The concept of quality is now universal, and increasingly Indian retailers are asking for good quality and decorative hangers,” shares Naresh. Adding to the thought Ram says, “The end customer abroad is much more aware of these things, while the Indian customer was not so much aware till a few years back, but now they are maturing. That’s also because a lot of international brands have moved into the country. Comparisons have really come in.”
Yet, no compromise is made, however competitive the market gets. “We are very transparent in our dealings and once we commit to supply hangers of a particular weight/quality, we do not backout even if we have to compromise on our margins. We know that other manufacturers are saving cost by reducing the weight, after all even 4 grams less means a cost difference of 50 paisa, but it is our business ethics and also one of the reasons that nominations come our way more easily. It is our commitment to service customers with a sturdy product – after all our hangers carry our customers Brand image,” says Naresh.
To strengthen the marketing team many veterans of the trade have been inducted to give the necessary impetuous. “Today we have a team of many senior professionals who not only understand the hanger trade, but are well equipped to service buyers and buying offices,” informs Naresh. Because of the peoples’ efforts the company has a strong presence in the key garment manufacturing hubs namely Tirupur, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai with the CS team centralized in Mumbai for the accelerated growth that they foresee in India. “Brands and manufacturers look at us as hanger manufacturers for European brands; through this platform we wish to communicate that Trimurti Polymers is now ‘a one-stop solution’ for all garment hangers – servicing manufacturing units in India and brands across the globe,” signs off Naresh.
