Screenline Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, said to be one of Sri Lanka’s largest fully automated screen printing firms, is exploring alternatives for the next stage of expansion in Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia, from its current presence in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, the company chief said. Aiming to promote its range of options in the overseas [...]

The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan screen printing firm plans overseas expansion

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Screenline Holdings (Pvt) Ltd, said to be one of Sri Lanka’s largest fully automated screen printing firms, is exploring alternatives for the next stage of expansion in Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia, from its current presence in Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh, the company chief said.

Aiming to promote its range of options in the overseas market, Screenline has already linked up with a Vietnamese partner to set up a joint venture in that country with the aim of catering to leading apparel companies in the US and Europe, Chairman/Managing Director of Screenline Holdings Nishantha Kumara Bakmeege told the Business Times. He noted that his company provides employment opportunities for Sri Lankan youth both here and overseas under its expansion plans in Asia and Europe.

Nishantha Kumara Bakmeege

In the screen printing industry there is not only lack of ‘knowledge’ but also lack of ‘knowers of knowledge’. Aware of this drawback over the years, his team has made drastic improvements due to their sheer hard work and inclination to learn from self help, he said. Mr Bakmeege, in the field of screen printing for over 15 years, is a born artist and he has used his talents in giving a modern artistic and eye catching outlook to his head office in Kelaniya and the factory with the support of his staff,

Showing us a model of an ancient sailing ship placed in the lobby of his office he noted that attention has been paid to even slight details of interior arrangements and designs to boost Sri Lanka’s image among his foreign clients. Screenline is the largest partner among suppliers of MAS Intimates having – over the past several years – located all its multi-plants within close proximity to MAS factories, to ensure closer liaison between factory and plant staff, shorter lead times and significantly reduce transport costs, he added.

Checking the finished product.Pix by Mangala Weerasekera

The Screenline Group of Companies, established in 1997, is the largest corporate in this industry in South Asia, he says. From its Kelaniya head office, the group operates a highly advanced automated and manual screen printing plants strategically located countrywide at Kelaniya, Kandy, Koggala and Pannala, with state-of-the-art equipment and approved with global competence compliance parameters. The group has already set up screen printing plants in Chennai, Vishakhapatnam (Bangalore) – India, and Dhaka, Chittagong – Bangladesh, he revealed.

He noted that his aim is to create new printing conceptual solutions with a blend of manual print and automated screen printing in keeping with the latest technological development In getting into this business, the company was targeting the export-oriented apparel manufacturers of Sri Lanka. In the process, the company provided value addition to the industry by way of screen printing of apparels, he said.

A complete range of added services are offered to clients at its fully-automated factory with a workforce of 1,800 enabling them to

High-tech machine.

handle large orders. Screenline implements a web-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that offers all customers the option of checking the progress of orders placed from anywhere in the world. The system is updated by the factory at the end of each manufacturing process, enabling the customer to keep close tabs on the order placed with the company. In the last decade, from a predominantly manual printing process there has been a big shift to fully automatic printing machines, he said.

There has been a steep increase in the number of screen printing machines sold in the last couple of years than it was five to 10 years ago, he revealed.

The company’s in-house Design Studio was set up with the aim of conceptualizing and visualizing creative designs by exploring the talent of local youth.

“This venture has been a success story from initialization and is now a fully blown design studio equipped to cater to demanding international markets, enabling us to be at the helm of providing creative designs for world renowned brands” he added. A fully-fledged Development Centre equipped with manual and automated printing facilities, supported by a fully computerized colour room, was set up to cater to the ever increasing customer demands, he disclosed.




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