IN 1989, shortly after arriving in SA from Taiwan with no command of English, Mark and Jenny Chen established a sewing machine business in a 50m² shop in the Johannesburg central business district.
About 26 years later, Uno Sewing Machinery employs 70 people at its 7,000m² headquarters in Nugget Street, Johannesburg and has smaller offices in Durban and Newcastle. Plans are in place to open a fourth office in Cape Town next year.
Uno also operates a Services Sector Education and Training Authority accredited training school for machine mechanics in Johannesburg.
But, despite the company’s growth, its ambitions to expand further and its newly renovated expansive showroom, Uno is as agile and customer-focused as it was when the Chen family first opened its doors.
Armed with expertise in sewing equipment they learned from their parents and grandparents in Taiwan, the Chens were determined to succeed by teaching customers how to make the best use of the machines they sold.
Mark and Jenny’s daughter, Judy Chen, is at the helm of the company. "I took on the role when I was 22 years old but, of course, 10 years later, both my parents are still here, working, every day," she says.
This work ethic, commitment to its customers and its reliable service, convinced one of the country’s largest clothing manufacturers, Trade Call Investments (TCI) Apparel, to designate Uno its preferred machinery supplier.
Uno is involved in the upgrading of equipment to the value of about R12m at TCI Apparel’s plants around the country.
...
THE refurbishment is part of TCI Apparel CEO Herman Pillay’s strategy to turn the formerly beleaguered clothing manufacturing operations of Seardel Apparel around, saving thousands of jobs in the process.
TCI Apparel was formed in April last year when the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) acquired Seardel.
Pillay set about looking for ways to "reindustrialise" operations and run manufacturing plants by way of "direct involvement of high-level management to the shop floor".
"One of the first things I saw when I was called in to have a look at Seardel Apparel in 2013 was how talented and passionate the people who worked there were," says Pillay.
"I went to the retailers and asked them if they would commit to supporting the group if there was a takeover. They were won over by our business model and plans for the future.
"The next step was to motivate staff. Morale was low at the time. During a road show to the plants around the country, I convinced them that if they chose to stay, I’d create a sustainable model."
The model centres on being competitive in an industry that continues to struggle against cheaper imports. Aside from competitive prices, retailers want quick and reliable supply, which requires the modernisation of the TCI Apparel plants in Durban and Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal, and Epping and Darling in the Western Cape.
Pillay met the Chen family 18 years ago when he was operating clothing factories in Durban. He discovered the Taiwanese Siruba brand of sewing machines, which are represented in SA by Uno. They have been doing business ever since, with their companies growing side by side.
There are, says Pillay, several similarities between his and Chen’s companies that expedite synergy.
They share a vision of longevity. The expertise and skills at Uno have evolved over four generations. TCI Apparel provides employees with a succession plan, which includes passing their skills on to their children.
Both Uno and TCI Apparel are set on growing their businesses by providing formal training and empowering employees. Uno has a training school for machine mechanics while TCI Apparel supports the National Rural Youth Service Corps skills and development training programme.
...
THE companies share a vision of continued growth. But with growth comes change.
"Although we still provide machines for household use, we also supply large businesses in the textile, fashion, mattress-making, car upholstery, shoe manufacture and leather sectors," says Judy Chen.
"These larger businesses generally demand much faster service and quicker responses than individuals and small businesses.
"To cater for this, we recently restructured and established a showroom that demonstrates examples of almost all the equipment we offer across all industries.
"We also have a fully fledged warehouse, spare parts centre, a workshop and a training school here."
Uno’s willingness to adapt and expand is important to clients such as TCI Apparel. "To be competitive, our plants have to operate at optimum at all times. We can’t afford downtime," says Pillay.
"By establishing a large warehouse and an expanded spare parts centre, Uno is able to provide us with quicker and more reliable service. The fact that Uno also plans to open a branch in the Western Cape next year is good news for us."
But, says Chen, it’s not only about servicing needs; it’s also about foreseeing them: "One of the many things that I’ve learned from my parents is that if you want to set your business apart from others, you need to provide customers with solutions … to ensure your clients have one less headache.
"So, not only do we share as much knowledge about our equipment with our clients as possible so they can make smart buying decisions and improve the profitability of their businesses, we also try and come up with solutions to any challenges they face."
...
IN RESPONSE to TCI Apparel’s need to improve competitiveness, Uno is providing equipment that achieves increased automation and productivity.
"For example, equipment is now used to automatically sew pockets on jeans. This speeds up the process significantly," says Pillay.
"Increased automation also means that threads on garments are now mechanically cleaned up. This enables us to train people who previously undertook this task to operate other machines, thereby improving their skills and salary."
When TCI Apparel was established in April last year, the company employed 2,260 people. By December, the number had increased to 2,930.
The company enjoys good support from clients such as Woolworths, Truworths, Edcon and the Foschini Group, Pillay says. The challenge of competing with cheap imports, however, remains.
"But I believe in SA and South Africans," he says. "If, as businesses and entrepreneurs, we look for progress within the country and from our people and fellow businesses, there is good potential for the kind of growth TCI Apparel and Uno have enjoyed side-by-side. And this kind of growth, in turn, is good for all."
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Uno CEO Judy Chen, centre, with staff and her parents, Jenny (left) and Mark Chen (right), founder members of Uno Sewing Machinery at the Johannesburg manufacturing plant. Picture: FREDDY MAVUNDA
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Judy Chen. Picture: FREDDY MAVUNDA
IN 1989, shortly after arriving in SA from Taiwan with no command of English, Mark and Jenny Chen established a sewing machine business in a 50m² shop in the Johannesburg central business district.
About 26 years later, Uno Sewing Machinery employs 70 people at its 7,000m² headquarters in Nugget Street, Johannesburg and has smaller offices in Durban and Newcastle. Plans are in place to open a fourth office in Cape Town next year.
Uno also operates a Services Sector Education and Training Authority accredited training school for machine mechanics in Johannesburg.
But, despite the company’s growth, its ambitions to expand further and its newly renovated expansive showroom, Uno is as agile and customer-focused as it was when the Chen family first opened its doors.
Armed with expertise in sewing equipment they learned from their parents and grandparents in Taiwan, the Chens were determined to succeed by teaching customers how to make the best use of the machines they sold.
Mark and Jenny’s daughter, Judy Chen, is at the helm of the company. "I took on the role when I was 22 years old but, of course, 10 years later, both my parents are still here, working, every day," she says.
This work ethic, commitment to its customers and its reliable service, convinced one of the country’s largest clothing manufacturers, Trade Call Investments (TCI) Apparel, to designate Uno its preferred machinery supplier.
Uno is involved in the upgrading of equipment to the value of about R12m at TCI Apparel’s plants around the country.
...
THE refurbishment is part of TCI Apparel CEO Herman Pillay’s strategy to turn the formerly beleaguered clothing manufacturing operations of Seardel Apparel around, saving thousands of jobs in the process.
TCI Apparel was formed in April last year when the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) acquired Seardel.
Pillay set about looking for ways to "reindustrialise" operations and run manufacturing plants by way of "direct involvement of high-level management to the shop floor".
"One of the first things I saw when I was called in to have a look at Seardel Apparel in 2013 was how talented and passionate the people who worked there were," says Pillay.
"I went to the retailers and asked them if they would commit to supporting the group if there was a takeover. They were won over by our business model and plans for the future.
"The next step was to motivate staff. Morale was low at the time. During a road show to the plants around the country, I convinced them that if they chose to stay, I’d create a sustainable model."
The model centres on being competitive in an industry that continues to struggle against cheaper imports. Aside from competitive prices, retailers want quick and reliable supply, which requires the modernisation of the TCI Apparel plants in Durban and Ladysmith in KwaZulu-Natal, and Epping and Darling in the Western Cape.
Pillay met the Chen family 18 years ago when he was operating clothing factories in Durban. He discovered the Taiwanese Siruba brand of sewing machines, which are represented in SA by Uno. They have been doing business ever since, with their companies growing side by side.
There are, says Pillay, several similarities between his and Chen’s companies that expedite synergy.
They share a vision of longevity. The expertise and skills at Uno have evolved over four generations. TCI Apparel provides employees with a succession plan, which includes passing their skills on to their children.
Both Uno and TCI Apparel are set on growing their businesses by providing formal training and empowering employees. Uno has a training school for machine mechanics while TCI Apparel supports the National Rural Youth Service Corps skills and development training programme.
...
THE companies share a vision of continued growth. But with growth comes change.
"Although we still provide machines for household use, we also supply large businesses in the textile, fashion, mattress-making, car upholstery, shoe manufacture and leather sectors," says Judy Chen.
"These larger businesses generally demand much faster service and quicker responses than individuals and small businesses.
"To cater for this, we recently restructured and established a showroom that demonstrates examples of almost all the equipment we offer across all industries.
"We also have a fully fledged warehouse, spare parts centre, a workshop and a training school here."
Uno’s willingness to adapt and expand is important to clients such as TCI Apparel. "To be competitive, our plants have to operate at optimum at all times. We can’t afford downtime," says Pillay.
"By establishing a large warehouse and an expanded spare parts centre, Uno is able to provide us with quicker and more reliable service. The fact that Uno also plans to open a branch in the Western Cape next year is good news for us."
But, says Chen, it’s not only about servicing needs; it’s also about foreseeing them: "One of the many things that I’ve learned from my parents is that if you want to set your business apart from others, you need to provide customers with solutions … to ensure your clients have one less headache.
"So, not only do we share as much knowledge about our equipment with our clients as possible so they can make smart buying decisions and improve the profitability of their businesses, we also try and come up with solutions to any challenges they face."
...
IN RESPONSE to TCI Apparel’s need to improve competitiveness, Uno is providing equipment that achieves increased automation and productivity.
"For example, equipment is now used to automatically sew pockets on jeans. This speeds up the process significantly," says Pillay.
"Increased automation also means that threads on garments are now mechanically cleaned up. This enables us to train people who previously undertook this task to operate other machines, thereby improving their skills and salary."
When TCI Apparel was established in April last year, the company employed 2,260 people. By December, the number had increased to 2,930.
The company enjoys good support from clients such as Woolworths, Truworths, Edcon and the Foschini Group, Pillay says. The challenge of competing with cheap imports, however, remains.
"But I believe in SA and South Africans," he says. "If, as businesses and entrepreneurs, we look for progress within the country and from our people and fellow businesses, there is good potential for the kind of growth TCI Apparel and Uno have enjoyed side-by-side. And this kind of growth, in turn, is good for all."
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