Rana Tex Plans First Dubai Outlet, Gateway to Middle East
December 12, 2000
50-Year-Old Pakistani Producer Flourishes As Retail, Greige Cloth Sales Increase
Faisalabad, Pakistan — Rana Textile Mill Ltd. is becoming one of the world's largest suppliers of greige goods for the upholstery fabric and curtaining industry. The company has established a major presence in the U.S.A. and Europe and plans to expand in markets closer to home, according to Tariq Mehmood, director of marketing.
Rana Tex also sells finished upholstery and drapery fabrics — mainly in dark-colored ethnic patterns — to the local market through 15 Rana Velvet stores. "Pakistan is a growing market for us," said Mehmood.
Rana Velvet also sells net curtains, yarn-dyed and jacquard upholstery of its own design and manufacture in the local market. Each store is about 1,000 square feet.
Mehmood said he is looking forward to expansion to Dubai and possibly other states in the Middle East. Plans are underway to open the first Rana Velvet store in Dubai in 2001, he said.
Mehmood said that the finished products have a strong appeal for the Muslim market, due to what he describes as excellent Islamic-inspired and traditional European designs made locally by his company.
"We sell 10 containerloads a month each to major converters in the U.S.A. and to major importers worldwide," said Mehmood. He reports an annual business in the neighborhood of $50 million in greige alone.
"We do not sell to small end users," he said. "The Chinese are selling greige very cheaply. It isn't necessarily a quality product that they offer because it usually has a cheaper construction."
Mehmood said that Rana Tex's business is growing annually. "It doubled in the last four years alone. We sample the customer, then visit. We show them the complete line to help them make up their minds," he explained. "We're getting especially famous in the U.S.A. through our agent Johnny Keeton.
"Our greige ends up in better goods in the U.S.A., our largest market and then Europe, specifically the U.K. and Belgium in that order."
Rana Tex is represented by Johnny Keeton Studios in North and South America, but Rana Tex sells direct to European customers, Mehmood said.
Mehmood said that the Middle East is his third largest greige export market.
The price of the jacquard fabrics are $2 C&F for 100% cotton and cotton/poly blends and $3 C&F for Rana's velvet construction in widths of 54 inches to 180 inches and 122 inches for bed coverings. The goods are semi-finished, yarn-dyed and ready for bleaching. He also sells finished cloth and madeups.
"Normally, a new customer starts with an order for one to two containerloads and we develop the business from that point," said Mehmood. "We create designs for jacquards as well."
"I spent eight years living in America and graduated with an MBA in marketing from the University of Southern California in 1986.
The 50-year-old company was established by Indian Muslims who migrated to Pakistan from India in 1947 when the two countries divided. The company specializes in home furnishings fabrics in plains, dobbies, jacquards, jacquard nets, velvets and corduroy.
Faisalabad, Pakistan — Rana Textile Mill Ltd. is becoming one of the world's largest suppliers of greige goods for the upholstery fabric and curtaining industry. The company has established a major presence in the U.S.A. and Europe and plans to expand in markets closer to home, according to Tariq Mehmood, director of marketing.
Rana Tex also sells finished upholstery and drapery fabrics — mainly in dark-colored ethnic patterns — to the local market through 15 Rana Velvet stores. "Pakistan is a growing market for us," said Mehmood.
Rana Velvet also sells net curtains, yarn-dyed and jacquard upholstery of its own design and manufacture in the local market. Each store is about 1,000 square feet.
Mehmood said he is looking forward to expansion to Dubai and possibly other states in the Middle East. Plans are underway to open the first Rana Velvet store in Dubai in 2001, he said.
Mehmood said that the finished products have a strong appeal for the Muslim market, due to what he describes as excellent Islamic-inspired and traditional European designs made locally by his company.
"We sell 10 containerloads a month each to major converters in the U.S.A. and to major importers worldwide," said Mehmood. He reports an annual business in the neighborhood of $50 million in greige alone.
"We do not sell to small end users," he said. "The Chinese are selling greige very cheaply. It isn't necessarily a quality product that they offer because it usually has a cheaper construction."
Mehmood said that Rana Tex's business is growing annually. "It doubled in the last four years alone. We sample the customer, then visit. We show them the complete line to help them make up their minds," he explained. "We're getting especially famous in the U.S.A. through our agent Johnny Keeton.
"Our greige ends up in better goods in the U.S.A., our largest market and then Europe, specifically the U.K. and Belgium in that order."
Rana Tex is represented by Johnny Keeton Studios in North and South America, but Rana Tex sells direct to European customers, Mehmood said.
Mehmood said that the Middle East is his third largest greige export market.
The price of the jacquard fabrics are $2 C&F for 100% cotton and cotton/poly blends and $3 C&F for Rana's velvet construction in widths of 54 inches to 180 inches and 122 inches for bed coverings. The goods are semi-finished, yarn-dyed and ready for bleaching. He also sells finished cloth and madeups.
"Normally, a new customer starts with an order for one to two containerloads and we develop the business from that point," said Mehmood. "We create designs for jacquards as well."
"I spent eight years living in America and graduated with an MBA in marketing from the University of Southern California in 1986.
The 50-year-old company was established by Indian Muslims who migrated to Pakistan from India in 1947 when the two countries divided. The company specializes in home furnishings fabrics in plains, dobbies, jacquards, jacquard nets, velvets and corduroy.
