Soflite interlining is the newest brand to enter the local market. This new brand is imported from Korea where it is produced under strict quality regulations. With the demand increasingly shifting towards thinner fabrics. soflite has made a timely entry into the market. This new brand is more suited for thin materials. Due to the inclusion of double dot technology, it incorporates a high bonding factor with the outer garment. The handfeel of Soflite is softer than the other brands.
Soflite is imported to Sri Lanka by Goodwill Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd., in collaboration with its Korean partners Ilshin. Ilshin is one of the largest interlining manufacturers in the world today. In the last financial year it recorded a total turnover of USS 100 million. The company has been involved in the garment related field for the past 20 years. It ventured into the manufacturing of interlining 3 years ago. Ilshin has a well-established worldwide branch network and it supplies to all the major global markets.
Ilshin Goodwill Lanka partnership was first established in 1992. Apart from manufacturing and supplying garment fabrics and accessories Goodwill Lanka also has interests in steel, steel rackings, conveyor belt systems and plastic palets. The company acts as the local agent for half a dozen foreign companies. Goodwill Lanka’s market reach extends upto Bangalore, India where it maintains a branch office.
Through their collaboration Goodwill Lanka can help the local garment manufacturers gain from Ilshin’s international network and its technological developments and to attract bigger buyers. With the wide experience Goodwill Lanka has in the local garment sector, Ilshin is all set to capture a major share inthis lucrative sector.
Many in the local garment sector are of the opinion that the Ilshin Goodwill Lanka partnership is perfectly matched and that it will serve the focal industry enormously. “It is important that the supplier understands the problems faced by the producer. It is imperative that all accessories are available in one place at any given moment” said Willy Lohle of Interfashion. In order to give its customers a better service Goodwill Lanka will shortly open a bonded warehouse to expedite the delivery system.
With Soflite, Goodwill Lanka hopes to increase its local market share in interlining which presently stands between 12% – 15%. The management plans to widen this from 20%-25% within the next fifteen to twenty months. “Earlier, we did not concentrate very much on increasing our market share. But with this new brand we plan to move more into the market”, explained Lalith Unambuwe, Managing Director, Goodwill Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd.
