Garments specific for British Defence Ministry manufactured in Sri Lanka

Texstyle Lanka Private Limited entered into an agreement with the BOI to manufacture garments for export on June 26. Mr. Ananda Bandara, Chairman and Managing Director and Mrs Hemali Bandara, Director of the company and Mr Dhammika Perera, Chairman/ Director General of the BOI, signed the Agreement. Dr Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Enterprise Development and Investment Promotion formally handed over the BOI Certificate of Registrations to the investor.
Minister Amunugama congratulated the investors stating that Texstyles Lanka Exports Private Limited illustrates well the spirit of enterprise of Sri Lankan companies who have succeeded in mastering cutting edge technologies and is now able to meet the requirements of demanding customers overseas. In the future other Sri Lankan companies will carve themselves niches as the demand for specialized and high-end goods will increase.

The cost of the project, which is located at Boralessgamuwa is US$ 718,000 and the company will be employing 175 workers. Texstyle Lanka exports 80% of all its production to the British Ministry of Defence.

Mr. Ananda Bandara, an engineer by profession, who has many years of experience in the textile industry. He founded the company as a garments buying and liaison office and got into manufacturing with his vast experience. Over the years he developed his knowledge in a very specialized area in the manufacture of garment, such as flying suits and equipment used by military and aerospace professionals.

Mrs. Hemali Bandara, his spouse, is also a company Director is well experienced in the textiles and garments manufacturing. Her knowledge of the garments industry included experience working for Hentley Garments, May Department

Stores International and also at Liz Claiborne. The company has been in existence since 2003 when it had just 9 employees as a modern sample-manufacturing unit. In 2004 it increased it staff strength to 75 employees. In 2006 Texstyle Lanka began producing aircrew coveralls and contracted with RFD Beaufort UK, main supplier to the British Ministry of Defence. The true knit unit was started in 2007 to supply sweaters, pullovers and cardigans to the UK market for labels such BHS, Chums, Woodwille, Heatons and other brands. In 2008, the company workforce was expanded to 120 employees.

Texstyle Lanka is the only Sri Lankan Company to supply United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence. The main buyer of the company is RFD Beaufort Private Limited, a British company that supplies safety, military, aerospace and survival clothing equipment for the British Ministry of Defence and other countries as well. For such production very advanced machinery is used to produce the garments needed to equip and protect fast jet pilots and parachutists.

Many of the clothing items use new types of high value non-flammable materials that meet the highest aerospace requirements. One example is a fleece-lined garment that protects fighter pilots flying in very cold conditions. The garment is also fire resistant.

Other products include suits for aircrews and for ground crews. Anti G trousers that counteract the forces of gravity are also among the goods produced and exported by the company. Furthermore they produce and supply fabric sea anchors used in life rafts for survival operations, in addition to specialized working clothes and helicopter flying suits for those employed on oilrigs. Future advanced products will include advanced garments such as tri-laminate immersion suits and submarine escape survival kits.