Growing up with beginners

Gauhar Siraj Jamil, managing director of Four H Group, takes a tour of one of his garment factories in Chittagong.Photo: STAR

Growing with a novice team at a busy business house is a challenge, but it pays off in many ways if the youth are groomed properly.
The first thing, in such cases, an entrepreneur should know about is the dormant spirit and capacity of a beginner.
"You may have to suffer for the first three to six months, and after that you are paid back,” says Gauhar Siraj Jamil, managing director of Four H Group, a Chittagong-based apparel big shot.
Jamil took his own lesson too.
He started his career as a merchandising officer of a garments factory in 1992. He was 22 then.
"I had been serving at different posts starting from a merchandising officer to general manager at a factory for eleven years before becoming an owner in 2003."
He wanted to do something on his own, Jamil says in an interview with The Daily Star.
Four H Group won national export trophy for two years.
It clinched a gold trophy and a silver for its export performance in knitwear and apparel sectors in fiscal 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 respectively.
Jamil is a careful boss -- recruitment policy and workers' rights are his priorities.
“I put my energy on recruiting young people. You need to know about the spirit and capacity these young people can show if they are given chances.”
“To reach this level of success we got fantastic support from our employees. We consider them as our partners. When someone joins you with a certain commitment he will take you ahead for his own interest.”
This also helps check corruption when a business grows big, says Jamil.
During the time of global recession Four H Group kept itself well afloat -- delivered orders in time and maintained a competitive price.
It was painstaking, he says.
“Because, if you are not in the race for a while, you may be thought to be out of the race. The norm is like this in such a business.”
The company plans to groom its brand through value addition to attract more customers with better price offers.
Garment sector can be back to the black by mid-2011, Jamil says. "Because, the US market is yet to get back strength. Its effect would continue for some time."
He is hopeful about overcoming the domestic challenges.
The company could have set up two or more production units by now unless gas and power crises were there, Jamil says.
Some industries need steam, which can be generated by gas or by furnace oil or diesel. "To attract big investment, the government should give assurance about gas supply, even if it's possible after two years.”
Besides focusing on big infrastructure projects, the government should do something to improve the energy sector for industrial use, he says. "Tax-cut or price-cut for diesel may be an option."
About political stability and labour unrest, Jamil says: "If the employees are happy with the management, political or labour unrest outside the factory can not affect production.”
“We all should not be blamed for labour unrest. Out of over 3,500 factories in the country, the unrest is reported at a few ones. So, it should not be highlighted in such a big way.”
He says his company tries to make payment in time or sometimes even two or three days ahead of the schedule to encourage the employees.
"It helps. Our employees work spontaneously during strike or holidays to help ensure shipment in time and brighten our image.”
“Still we have a lot to improve to get customers of brand items.”
Jamil says he does not believe in a tough administration that does not work.
Four H Group was also the only firm from Chittagong to achieve one of the ten Best Workers-friendly Certificates awarded by the labour ministry, he says.
The group had an initial capital of Tk 1.5 crore including a loan of Tk 50 lakh when it started its journey in March 2004 with 120 employees and 80 pieces of machinery.
By the end of 2004 it was equipped with 413 machinery and 740 employees to achieve an annual production worth $1.4 million.
The group has ten concerns including eight garments and knitwear factories -- Four H Fashions Ltd, Four H Intimates Ltd, Four H Lingerie Ltd, Four H Knittex Ltd, Belamy Textiles Ltd, Four H Dyeing and Printing Ltd, Badgetex Apparels Ltd, and Intimates Elastic Industries Ltd.
The group's annual export was worth $52.5 million in 2008 and rose to $65 million in 2009, while its total manpower in all its production units is 7,000 now.
Four H Group, which expects to raise its annual exports to $90 million-$100 million by 2012, will set up a dyeing unit this year with an investment of $10 million.