Country: Bahrain

Global manufacturer and marketer of home products WestPoint Home (WPH) has announced its decision to invest US $ 9 million for the third-phase expansion of its manufacturing complex in Bahrain.

With this, the company will have invested more than $25 million in expanding capacity, capabilities and environmental projects over the past three years, including weaving, spinning projects, expansion of automatic and manual sewing and embroidery work, the company said in a statement.

The company announced the expansion plans after a recently held meeting between WPH senior officials and the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Zayed R Alzayani. Issues discussed at the meeting included measures to mitigate the impact of expiration of Tariff Preference Level (TPL), which allows duty-free access for textile exports from Bahrain to the US.

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Normand Savaria, president and CEO, WPH, said, “The third-phase expansion project will increase the spinning capacity by 38 per cent. Spinning more yarn in Bahrain will decrease lead times, increase flexibility and will, along with other initiatives that would help mitigate the impact of the anticipated TPL expiration in mid-2016 and allow the company to continue to import Bahrain-manufactured textile products into the US duty free,” WestPoint Home, headquartered in New York City, manufactures and sells products that includes towels, fashion bedding, sheets, comforters, blankets, mattress pads, pillow to globally to leading retail and hospitality customers under popular owned brands, including Martex, Vellux, Grand Patrician, Patrician, Luxor, Utica, Modern Living and Nostalgia and under licensing agreements, with brands such as Rachel Ashwell, Southern Tide, Izod, Jill Rosenwald, Collier Campbell, Portico, Under the Canopy, Amy Sia, Bini Chic, Dena Home and Haute Girls, Downtown Abbey, Kathy Davis and Shell Rummel.

Bahrain-based modular industrial leasing complex company Baytik Industrial Oasis Company (BIO) has expanded the space leased out to MRS Fashions (MRS), by 2,200sqm. This is a 22 per cent increase over the 9,600sqm leased under the previous agreement. The new deal paves the way for MRS, part of Hong Kong-based Must Garment Corporation, to grow its operations and increase the benefits it receives from its location at BIO. This includes access to high quality manufacturing space, low upfront investment costs, and close proximity to the Khalifa Bin Salman Port and Bahrain International Airport. The agreement was signed between BIO chairman Osama Al Khajah and MRS executive director Harinder Lamba in the presence of senior officials, as well as representatives from CBRE, BIO’s leasing agent.