Mas Akansyčl Celebrates One Year in Haiti We Are Family
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the active03rd Issue - September 2018 focuswww.masholdings.com AF SPOKE TO MAS ACTIVE LUSHAN MOTHER'S MAS AKANSYÈL WE ARE DAY 2018 CELEBRATES ONE FAMILY YEAR IN HAITI P-07 1 P-02 P-10 03rd Issue - September 2018 02 MAS Akansyèl we are one WE ARE MAS Akansyèl celebrates one year in Haiti 1 THE JOURNEY HAS JUST BEGUN... MAS Akansyèl, Haiti proudly is an intrinsic part of the MAS celebrated its 1-year anniversary Western Hemisphere footprint marking a significant milestone and to-date has created over 700 in the journey of MAS Active. direct jobs. Understanding customer needs and requirements has always The success of Haiti is directly helped MAS raise the bar and owed to the teams involved, make us front runners in the both based in Sri Lanka and apparel manufacturing arena. Haiti. MAS Akansyèl is a story which encompasses passion, MAS Akansyèl S.A, was commitment, hard work, incorporated in April 2017 collaboration and sacrifice! As and is situated within the Akansyèl turns one, we look Caracole Industrial Park in back at their journey thus far… Northern Haiti. MAS Akansyèl 03rd Issue - September 2018 03 we are one WHY HAITI Haiti’s consideration as a potential manufacturing location for MAS goes back to 2013, when Nike indicated interest in this location as it could offer preferential duty benefits and shorter lead-times. However, having visited the country, Nike decided it’s too perilous at the time to approve the location owing to several reasons. Then some years later, lululemon in 2016, in its endeavor to elevate the world from mediocrity to greatness, saw Haiti as a potential location to manufacture its premium products and invited MAS to partner them. Congratulations team MAS Akansyèl on We at MAS, were in search reaching the first year of your journey to success! of a partner ourselves to kick “ start the Western Hemisphere It is inspiring to see that we have risen to the manufacturing presence, as part of the strategy to grow our duty- occassion enduring all trials and triumphs despite free foot print and reduce lead- the challenges that came our way. I am proud of times. Therefore, Haiti became a reality as it was a happy marriage what you have achieved under the leadership of of two strategies. Suranga, Lushan and Giri and wish you all the This enabled MAS Active to be very best for a successful future! able to be strategically closer to the customer by providing them - Chelan Goonetilleke - CEO MAS Active near-shore production facilities that would not only mitigate the country risk of only producing with a population of over 11 in creole; however, the official offerings. Bare and simple in the Asian region but also to be million. Haiti is the second- language of Haiti is French. necessities such as soap or able to replenish the customer most populated country in ”groceries are sometimes hard to demands with shorter lead times. the Caribbean. At present the Socially Haitians are a proud find. Haiti in particular is enjoying economic growth rate in Haiti nation with 500 years of history. one of the most liberal treaties is around the 3% and is the Whilst most of the urban This resulted in a very with the western world which is poorest economy in the western parts of the country are highly challenging work environment known by the acronyms HOPE Hemisphere. The main exports disorganized and polluted, it has for the expatriate workforce and HELP. This enables clients out of Haiti are apparel, oils, untouched beaches and rural whilst setting up this world class (Brands) to import duty free to cocoa, mangoes and coffee. idyllic landscapes are very serene. facility. Housing, motivating the US and Europe which gives and encouraging each and every them an added benefit to be The city of Port Au Prince is one took up a lot of time and competitive in their respective the official capital and most was a key area focused by the markets. populated city in Haiti. At HAITI AND IT’S management. The 40+ expats present literacy rate in Haiti is living in Haiti have very little to around 61%. CHALLENGES do in terms of organized leisure ABOUT HAITI The distance between Haiti activities given the poor state of Haiti is a country that occupies As per the available records and Sri Lanka in it self was the country and infrastructure, a land area of 27,750 Sq. Km Haiti has an unemployment a challenge. Haiti being the but have been able to improvise in the western three-eighths rate of 40%. Haitians are fluent poorest country in the Western and create their own eco system of the island of Hispaniola, Hemisphere with very little within the MAS manufacturing facilities or infrastructure that facility and compound. can accommodate a world class operation was yet another challenge. From the nuts and HAITI AND IT’S Everything we take for bolts to every single element granted in Sri Lanka comes required to execute this green POLITICS “ field project, had to be imported. Haiti became the world’s first at great expense in Haiti black-led republic and the first The area around and near the independent Caribbean state - Suranga Nanayakkara factory is quite meagre in its Director - Operations ” when it threw off French colonial 03rd Issue - September 2018 04 we are one control and slavery in the early • Fabric could be brought from 19th century. any part of the world and assembled in Haiti and it will The politics of Haiti is fluid as qualify duty free to USA and OUR in any under developed nation, EU. and tend to operate in a prudent and mindful manner. Being a • GSP + for the European Union SUCCESS former French colony, Haiti has a very strong legal system albeit, • GPT for Canada it’s hardly used in an effective STORY manner by the local population. • Many other Free Trade - Jean Dieulange - Agreements with Caribbean Chronic instability, dictatorships and Latin American countries and natural disasters in recent On the 22nd of June 2017, as MAS Akansyél was preparing to start decades have left it as the • Unlimited duty-free treatment the 1st set of interviews for the team members at the SONAPI poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. auditorium, Miss Jeannie was interviewed and selected as one of FINDING the first team members to be recruited to the 1st batch of recruits. THE THE BEST Jannie who is a member of the very 1st recruitment batch of MAS OPERATIONAL TALENT Akansyél, is a perfect example for an individual whose life has At MAS Active, we highlight been transformed into a better one. & LOGISTICAL the importance on both managing and building talent. BENEFITS OF Enhancing these processes Her mother passed away when she was only 6 years old. She was BEING IN HAITI supports strategic and cultural left with 6 others in her family and her father was handicapped objectives as well as emotional • HAITI has been granted with commitments made by the and unemployed. one of the most favorable management. This helps us find preferential trade partnerships. high potential candidates for key Eg: HOPE/HELP, with USA. She was then raised under the guidance of her aunt and went roles. through the most difficult & tough time of her life. She never gave The real source of MAS Active’s up on her dreams & goals in her life and day by day she makes value is the way we use our diverse business portfolios to herself stronger and finds avenues to come out of these difficulties OUR CURRENT offer rich learning opportunities in life. PORTFOLIO OF to both managers and other talent within the division. CLIENTS AND Subsequently, she found her job at MAS and learnt everything in The local experts have been quick succession as she was a very talented woman, she showcased PRODUCTS crucial in managing and her talents to the management while most importantly winning operating the factory. With time the local experts have created a their trust. vibrant circulation of talent that Seamless: allows them to spread knowledge As a result, of her hard work and dedication she is the first female Swiftly and Metal Vent and best practices, despite the employee at MAS, to have been promoted as Team Leader within (Long and Short Sleeve), cross-cultural diversity. ivivva products very short span of time. Haiti has a great pool of untapped talent. However, a significant She has revealed to us that she did not have a proper room to sleep Cut and Sew: effort and investment in training No Boxer Boxer, Game on and development is required, to in before she joined MAS. But today she is happy about herself Boxer, Cool Razor Back enable the skill-set to produce and owns a nice bed room where she can have good night’s sleep. and craft products which meet Jean is an independent employee as she has a permanent monthly our customer demands. The Upcoming Projects: process of transferring MAS’ income. She looks after her father as well, which is very heart know-how to employees through touching to her. the 40+ Sri Lankan experts is currently in progress. Fast and Free Tight As a young woman, she too has many dreams and her most The management believes and realistic dream would be to visit a foreign country. For that, she has encourages Haitians (locals) to already arranged her passport and is planning visit the Dominican fill the managerial and technical Osito Jacket roles of MAS Akansyèl. This as a Republic towards the end of December.