SME feature of the month: Queens Work Wear

With its establishment in 1996, Queens Work Wear focuses on providing exclusive design and manufacturing services for functional and fashionable workwear, aligned with international trends and adding comfort into the equation of everyday work.?

Having opened its doors in the coastal town of Kandana manned by a 200 strong team, the Company recently expanded its niche capabilities into the rural town of Passara, Badulla in a bid to further strengthen its production capacity. This addition was done with the objective of adding employment opportunities into a rural community that was challenged due to the pandemic and with the larger vision of helping the country navigate trying times. The expansion brought the total team to 300 based in two locations.??

Reminiscing on his journey, Director Malinda Ranasinghe said that the launch of the facility in Passara was a two-pronged effort of uplifting the local community while also ensuring the 3Ps of People, Profit, Planet remain aligned with the Company’s goals.? The recruitment therefore was concentrated primarily on those living in and around the facility.? Transportation for the team was provided by local three-wheelers, while the provision of food was outsourced to members of the community, adding multiple dimensions to empowering the local community. With the economic crisis hitting Sri Lanka and ensuing economic challenges, Queens Workwear Limited began and continues to provide its team with dry rations monthly and has increased salary thresholds and incentives as well.? “This means our team members can use their salaries for other essentials including children’s education and medicine if necessary, which for the most part gets neglected when a significant amount of the household budget get spent on food,” says Ranasinghe.?

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With the initial placements for the Passara facility being about seventy employees, the Company received over 300 curriculum vitae from those seeking employment, an overwhelming number that Ranasinghe never expected. Today, this facility which began with just twenty machines now has over sixty and an order book that exports to multiple global markets including the US, Canada, the Maldives, Germany, France, and Puerto Rico.?

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"Even more than the business, it is the satisfaction of being able to provide job opportunities and also promote a work-life balance that gives us a lift, as most of the employees are from the area and we are uplifting a community that has been navigating numerous challenges for some years now,” states Ranasinghe.?

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Unleashing growth potential for SMEs?

Despite recent challenges, SMEs have been a vital component in boosting export revenue for Sri Lanka. SMEs accounted for 20% of total exports in 2022, which if taken into context, shows the potential of SMEs in contributing to the economy if more support and assistance is extended to this vital sector.?

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Commenting on this, Ranasinghe mentioned that the Government should increase funding for SMEs to showcase products and services to international audiences via trade fairs and international expos. “One my biggest clients was introduced to me because I had the opportunity to attend an international exhibition held in Las Vegas sponsored by the US Department of Commerce. Participating in these is expensive for SMEs in Sri Lanka and therefor being given opportunities via funding from government agencies is crucial for SMEs to expand operations adding imperative exposure to the global community.” ?

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Ranasinghe concludes that if Sri Lanka aims to generate new FDIs, the Government must focus on streamlining and simplifying the approval and regulation processes in the ease of doing business.? “New business registrations for example should only take a maximum of one day or two at the most.? Investors have options all around the world; they don't need to come to Sri Lanka. If we ease our processes while ensuring that the company they invest gives them the best rate of return, then investors will look at Sri Lanka favourably.? We must create a much more investor friendly climate.”?