Gold Fortune Textile (GFT) is making a mark in the local textile industry by building its capacity in order to become a world-class supplier for manufacturers’ textile needs. The Philippines used to be a major supplier not only of fabrics but also of apparel products and GFT, through its 23-year-old President and CEO Enrico Sy is positioned to help the industry regain its former glory.
The company recently inaugurated its flagship showroom in Taytay, Rizal. Here, customers can check out their products in a well-lit and comfortable facility and their queries can be addressed immediately by courteous staff who are trained in sales. They have also expanded their range of products that keep up with trends from overseas not only in apparel but also in home linens. Sy has likewise harnessed the power of social media to engage and build a customer base that has the distinction of putting a priority on quality products for their apparel brands.
From his parents’ 30-year-old RTW business, Sy has transformed the company into a modernized solution to address local entrepreneurs textile needs, such as more variety and better-quality fabric blends and prints, providing a one-stop-shop with their accessory products, and even customization services for bulk orders. “As time went by, we saw the demand and started to upgrade our production. We realized that the Philippines is following fashion trends in countries like Bangkok, so we decided to import different kinds of fabric instead of just pure cotton.”
His vision is to also encourage these highly educated individuals to come home to the Philippines and invest in local industries such as garment manufacturing. “We need these people to start businesses here, to promote local livelihood and create more job opportunities. Filipinos are masipag and friendly to everyone, so why not invest in our own countrymen? If 50 students create garments factories, they can create up to 500 new jobs, from pattern makers, sewers, packaging, and more. These can create more chains and channels for employment. They can also establish trading companies that can showcase our products for exportation,” he says.
“My dream is for us to have big factories like they have overseas, producing world-class products that we can proudly export.”