Upbeat hospitality sector boosts linen production

CEBU, Philippines -  The improved prospects seen in the hospitality and retail sectors in the country have considerably driven production in the linen industry.

Globalinens Worldwide, Inc. president Wai Lok Fung said there is constant need to set up local factories in the Philippines to produce linen products that are very in demand among hotel and resort operators. GWI is a linen and consumer products company.

“We can say that the linen industry is related to the hospitality sector,” Fung told The FREEMAN in an interview, noting the two growing industries benefit mutually from each other. “Linen products are things that a hotel can’t operate without.”

A growing number of new hotels for domestic and foreign people being built is seen as the demand in the industry grows and the economic activities continue to increase.       

This has also pushed linen suppliers to expand their production to supply the demand of these sectors.

“When hotels open, they will always look for suppliers (for their linens),” he said.

Aside from the hotel industry, linen manufacturers also sell their products to hospitals, houses, big retail stores and other business establishments.

Fung family’s linen enterprise which started in 2006 was built out of the family’s devotion to Filipinos and the need to bring employment into the country.

The president also noted their decision to keep their business in the country is motivated by the challenge to prove to foreign -- and even local -- investors that investing in the Philippines is a valuable decision.

“In Hong Kong, they (parents) have many Filipino worker friends there. These workers told my parents that if you want to help Filipinos, come to the Philippines to provide employment,” Fung shared on how his family started to realize to do business here.

Filipinos are the best workers in the world, he emphasized, noting that they deserve good employment opportunities in order to use their abilities.

The company imports raw materials from China and makes the products here to save on cost and expenses. It has more than 300 sales outlets in department stores, more than 160 hotel clients (including hospitals and resorts) nationwide and five factories in Cabuyao, Laguna.

For linen product makers to keep up with the industry becoming more competitive, Fund advised they must adhere to good quality and quantity which are two things that customers would always look for. While the company president said they thought about exporting products to other countries, their focus though for now is to enter first the local markets in Cebu, Iloilo and Davao. (FREEMAN)