United

takes the lead

Unitdd Apparel (Mfg)

Limited which was established in 1989, has demonstrated that it was established after a thorough research and a sense of commitment. Company owner Ramesh Solanki has had over 40 years of involvement in the industry - his family having started a menswear tailoring busi ness in 1912.

United’s operation has been a dynamic one and evolving, consistent with the requirements of its major buyers.

The process of global liberalisation and erosion of preference has made the compa ny more determined to adopt the latest technology in its operation and improve ments in productivity, efficiency and over all management.

Today, United has established a name and reputation not only in Fiji but interna tionally. Some of its major buyers are the ones with whom United has been associat ed with since commencing operation eight years ago.

This is testimony of the confidence buy ers have in United’s export strategy, per formance and commitments. This was reflected when the company won the Fiji Trade and Investment Board’s Exporter of the Year award last month The win is taking the popularity and achievement of the company a step further.

It also reflects on the dedication and hard work of the owners to offer the best.

The company’s main line of production is the manufacture of tailored suits, trousers and jackets. It concentrates on upmarket, high quality and high volume products for niche markets. It has been suc cessful in developing markets based on its ability to produce quality products, timely delivery and by rationalising its overall cost structures.

United holds a vision which is to be known as the manufacturer of high quality

products serving the niche markers and promote Fiji as an ideal location for investment and sup plier of quality products. This is to be achieved through updating technology and pro viding further employment to improve the quality of life of the people of Fiji. The main objectives of the company are to manufacture high quality tailored gar ments for export mainly to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the United States and explore further opportuni ties for exports to Japan and other

new markets.

United will continue to research in the markets where Fiji made garments have comparative advantage in terms of quality,

production and accessibility.

United’s success is a result of its effec tive export planning and strategy. It plans its marketing realistically to reflect what it can achieve within a given period of time rather than settling an ambitious target which may be unachievable.

The company is proud to announce that year after year it has been able to achieve targets set out in its annual export strategy.

United’s export strategjy is simple and achievable and is based on the following: Personal and detail attention to clients’ request; participation in trade fairs and exhibitions; sample; electronic mail; human resources development; to serve its main clients and market agents. The com pany’s major expansion programme to establish a new and modem factory under one roof on a 12 acre land, is well under way as envisaged. The construction of the factory is an advanced and the owners are aiming for a February opening. ■

Water is the source of life. There is so much water and we in the Pacific are surrounded by masses of it. But all water cannot be drunk and that is one of the reasons why bottled water has become so popular in not just western countries but the region as well. For a long time it was imported into the region but now it is bot tled right in the Pacific - in Fiji. David Gilmour, a savvy entrepreneur, whose business interest range from real estate to

gold mining, took it upon himself to rein vent bottled water and after a long search, he struck gold - a 450 year old aquifer in the sacred Fijian site of Yaqara.

An independent geological report on the source of Fiji Water has defined that the conglomerate at Yaqara is part of a sequence of volcanic and volcanic derived sediments; which serves as a perfect filtra tion system for water. The estimated age of the site means that the waters will be low in bicarbonates yet high in silica. The frag mented basalt rocks deposited at the bot

tom acts as the first filter. The water is fil tered by the volcanic sediment in the same fashion as sand filters are used in modem day water treatment facilities. The water itself is extremely pure, with no trace of industrial or agricultural contamination and there are no settlements near the site.

Not only has the source been untouched by pollution, it contains a high concentra tion of colloidal silica, a mineral touted for

its anti-ageing and immunity boosting

properties. The next was to bottle this “fountain of youth” (at the source, of course) and market it in the world’s most exclusive areas.

Fiji Natural Artesian Water is a product whose image is one of purity, excellence and the allure of the exotic. The origin of the water is rainfall which then filters over decades through strata of sandstone and naturally occurring silica within volcanic highlands on the main island of Viti Levu.

Bottled at the source and drawn from a rel atively limitless aquifer, the water is extremely pure with traces of various

healthy minerals.

The silica rich Fiji Natural Artesian Water is marketed in the United States.

Other potential markets are Canada,

United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and

Taiwan.

The Fiji Natural Artesian Water label has also won a number of awards. Initial success came with a gold award in New Zealand Fasson Awards. This was followed by two gold awards in the Australasian Fasson Awards, one for excellence in print, and one for innovation and creativity in use of self adhesive material. The back label has a duplex print and when viewed through the clear front label the vision of a waterfall magnified by the contents of the bottle gives a three dimensional effect. The products has an image of purity, excellence and character. Most recently it won the New Exporter of the Year Award at the Fiji Trade and Investment Board Exporter of the Year awards. This award gives the product and the people behind it an added bonus which will take it a step further in terms of excellence. Not only this, but the company also carries a certificate of the International Standard Organisation or ISO as is better known. It has been registered under ISO 9002 meaning that the product is well suited for the international market and in position to compete with products from other parts of the world. ■