Be Inspired
During this challenging season, we’re grateful we’re able to re-invent and re-allocate part of our manpower and manufacturing resources in our off-shore facilities to produce mask for the many migrant workers here in Singapore and help contribute to our nation’s efforts to conquer Covid-19.
STAY SAFE, ACTIVE & UNITED!
The Bodynits Group
Our sewing team observing safe distancing as we dedicate part of our production facility to produce masks and play our part to support our migrant workers in Singapore.
UNITED WE STAND……STAY SAFE!
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When Ms Ryna Choo started out as a receptionist at Bodynits 12 years ago, she longed to work with fashion designs rather than just man the phone.
“I used to sit at the reception desk and see merchandisers rush in and out, thinking they held very important jobs,” she said.
Less than a year later, her dream came true when the fitness garment manufacturer offered the O-level holder a position as an assistant fashion merchandiser.
Now 28, she has since been promoted to merchandiser with Bodynits.
She works with branded sports fashion labels such as Nike and adidas, choosing fabrics and colours for their designs.
Ms Choo is part of a growing pool of fashion merchandisers here, and the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) hopes to train more O-level holders to take up at least 100 such positions available in the industry.
The WDA, with the National Trades Union Congress, has launched a place-and-train programme – Fashion Merchandising Reskill-ing for Employment – to equip trainees with skills to be assistant merchandisers.
Although she admits fashion merchandising can be “scary and stressful”, Ms Ryna Choo has returned to the job with Bodynits she left twice because she realises it is what she enjoys most.
The first six-week programme for about 20 trainees, which includes lessons and job attachments, will be conducted by the Textile and Fashion Federation (Singapore) next month.
Those selected will be guaranteed jobs after training. Monthly salaries for an assistant merchandiser start at $1,100 and can go as high as $5,000 for a merchandising manager.
However, Ms Choo cautioned against thinking it’s all glamour.
“I felt like giving up many times as it was scary and stressful,” she said, recallingi early experiences of mixing orders and rushing to meet deadlines.
Such pressures are why many quit after three to six months, added Bodynits production director Molly Tan.
Even Ms Choo, who earned a marketing diploma a few years ago, has left the job – twice.
The first time was to become a travel consultant, then a secretary in an engineering company; the second time, to work in a fashion buying house.
“I was exploring my options, but I realized merchandising was what I enjoyed most,” she said of her decision to return.
To register for a briefing session, call the WDA hotline on 6883-5885 or email wda_enquiry@wda.gov.sg by Thursday.
Source: As published in ST Newspaper words by Sue-Ann Chia
]]>Singapore company in Batam goes the extra mile to instil peaceful values.
The practice and appreciation of peace values – that is what a Peace Ambassador is trained to instil in others – peaceful values in building a diversified community that is harmonious, loving and respectful towards one another. Ms Lynn Tan, a Founder and Director of Bodynits International Pte Ltd, an international apparel company founded in Singapore and she helped initiate a peace training programme at its factory Bodynits’ Bintan Bersatu Apparel (BBA) factory in Batam last September which has a staff of 1,300 people.
She said her hope is not only to create a community of peace in the factory but also to facilitate continuous learning of the local staff and grooming their leadership skills. She also has a vision to bring this peace training to other Bodynits companies in China and Vietnam. What’s more, the peace programme has proven to be rather virulent. The local Batam BBA staff who participated in the training have also expressed interest in bringing the Peace Ambassadors Workshop to other companies in Batam.
The two-day Peace Ambassador workshop was co-organised by The Blue Ribbon and Bodynits. The training was conducted by The Blue Ribbon founder, Ms Norani Abu Bakar and she was assisted by Peace Ambassador trainers from Peace Generation Indonesia. They trained the BBA staff to become in-house Peace Ambassadors’ trainers. Led by its own BBA in-house trainers, the company hopes that its 1,300 staff will join in the upcoming peace workshop and community services.
The event has been very well-received by many staff and many had to wait for their turn to attend. The maximum number of participants for each workshop is 30 people. The two day workshop was full with engaging activities, discussion and reflection. At night, the staff enjoyed BBQ session and watched movie together.
Bodynits, together with The Blue Ribbon has also sponsored two scholarships for trainers to attend the Young Interfaith Peacemakers Community National Conference in Jogjakarta last August. This was their first time attending a peace cmap outside BBA where they met other young leaders, mainly university students from all over Indonesia who are championing spreading of peace in their local communities and neighbouring countries.
Lynn founded Bodynits over 30 years ago with her sister and they have successfully established it as the region’s leading fitness wear for aerobic workout. Today, the company has manufacturing facilities in Singapore, China (Shantou), Indonesia (Bintan and Batam) and Vietnam.
Peace note: The Blue Ribbon was founded in Singapore in 2014 and its peace training programmes emphasize peace as a character value. More info: www.blueribbonglobal.com
Source: As published in www.indoconnectsingapore.com
]]>The Singapore fashion industry may be small but it is burgeoning as a force to be reckoned with in Asia. Insight: Enterprise chats up one of the most dynamic fashion enterprises to emerge from Singapore.
Clare Kwek (left) and Bert Tan (right) – all part of a big family that’s Bodynits.
Stitching Up a Brand
Mr Bert Tan, Executive Director of Bodynits International Pte Ltd, an active lifestyle apparel company, recounts how the company started off from a small room in his mother’s house in 1984. Today, the SME (Small and Medium enterprise) has grown to include factories all over Asia such as China, Indonesia and Vietnam, providing garments to big brands like Nike, Puma and Adidas.
While the headquarters is located in Singapore, Bert hopes that apart from exporting garments he can also “export values, cultures and systems” to the other factories.
He is alluding to the fact that despite its immense growth, the company still retains the intimacy of a small company. According to Bert, this dishes up the main advantage of retaining a loyal workforce. Bodynits Merchandising Manager, Clare Kwek confirmed, “One of the key reasons that has attracted me to stay in the company for so long is the family-oriented environment. You really feel that when the company grows, you also grow with it.”
She added, “Also because of the smaller size, it’s easier to get recognition from the bosses for your hard work.”
Keeping an Edge
Running a factory in Singapore means having to be competitive to keep up, and hiring and developing the right employee to do the job becomes all the more crucial.
“Contrary to the belief that in a local SME there is less stability and structure, smaller companies actually give employees more space to explore the textile and garment industry,” Bert revealed.
Clare, who started off in Bodynits in 1995 as a Merchandiser, agreed, “My decision to join the company as opposed to a larger organization was that I would be able to learn and grow at my own pace. Here, they have given me many opportunities to take up new challenges – from leading a small team to heading a department.”
“My decision to join the company as opposed to a larger organization was that i would be able to learn and grow at my own pace. Here, they have given me many opportunities to take up new challenges – from leading a small team to heading a department” – Clare Kwek, Merchandising Manager
Equipping its staff with current knowledge and skills is a crucial part of the company’s staff development initiative. The company sends its staff on a regular basis to training workshops such as those given by the Textile and Fashion Industry Training Centre (TaF.tc), to update themselves on the latest developments in the garment industry.
Seamless Integration
Bert feels that one of the positive aspects of working in a smaller organization is that employees get to be more in tune with the direction and vision of the company, The company culture is one where there are minimal barriers to communication between supervisors and the staff under them. “Here, employees are given a lot of scope to be involved in decision-making processes as well as policy implementation,” Bert said. The top management holds regular meetings with the rest of the staff to get their feedback on the company’s plans.
So what kind of employees do SMEs like Bodynits look out for? “What we need are team players who dare to take up challenges to actualize themselves. SMEs provide a platform for these people,” Bert said.
Clare added, “As long as people are willing to learn, cope with the changes and deal with demanding deadlines, which is typical of the fashion industry, there will always be opportunities to fully develop each individual’s potential.
Source: Textile & Apparel Magazine
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“Workers here are more skilful, and they are also more motivated, more disciplined. They know what they are here for.”
Bodynits International’s active lifestyle and fitness wear lines – Bodynits and Bods – are familiar homegrown brands. But what may come as a surprise to most Singaporeans is the fact that Bodynits International actually manufactures its own garments – something most clothing lines don’t do.
And an even lesser-known fact about the company is that it engages in contract manufacturing. In fact, “it is the company’s contract manufacturing arm that contributes to more than 80 per cent of Bodynits International’s revenue”, says Bert Tan, executive director of Bodynits International.
The firm started out as a family business in 1984 by Mr Tan’s two sisters, who saw a niche in the burgeoning aerobics market. As imported aerobics outfits at that time were usually expensive and had cuts that were not suited to the smaller Asian frames, the Tan sisters decided to set up a factory to manufacture competitively priced fitness wear under the brand name Bodynits.
“But by the late 1980s, other brands started approaching us to manufacture for them and that’s how we went into contract manufacturing.” said Mr Tan. That was a move that proved lucrative. From a turn-over of $600,000 in its first year, Bodynits International’s business went past a turn-over of $76 million last year.
The company’s speciality is still in manufacturing fitness and active wear in stretch fabrics, and its contract manufacturing customers include famous international sportswear brands like Nike, Puma, and Champion. Other than its Singapore plant, Bodynits has two other factories in Shantou, China and Bintan, Indonesia. The Shantou factory was opened in 1993.
Despite the fact that the Singapore factory (“slightly bigger than the Bintan one and smaller than the Shantou one”) employs about 450 workers – the same number as at each of the other two factories – it turns out 50-60 per cent of Bodynits International’s total production.
“The manufacturing in our Singapore factory is more productive. It’s really due to a few factors,” said Mr Tan.
The facility is specially geared towards the handling of highly innovative performance fabrics. It also boasts a $750,000 conveyor system which facilitates the movement of garments across the factory and cuts production time by 40 per cent.
“Everything us pre-programmed. Problems are spotted very quickly in the early stages of production by our technical and quality assurance staff,” added Mr Tan.
But while it is true that less labour-intensive production is done here in Bodynits International’s factory here, Mr Tan contends that the Singapore workers themselves are more productive.
“The whole operational culture is different here. Workers here are indeed more skilful, but they are also more motivated, more disciplined. They know what they are here for; they know what to do.”
That explains why Bodynits International has been keen to increase its manufacturing capacity in Singapore to cater to increased demand. In April, one more floor of production space was added to the company’s Singapore facility in Changi South Lane. With this increase in manufacturing capability, Mr Tan expects to see a 20 per cent increase in revenue for this year.
Going forward, the company intends to grow both its contract manufacturing business as well as its brands, Bodynits and Bods.
“We think we are a strong contract manufacturer. There are many generalists in this field but we are a specialist because we only do fitness and active wear. We work very closely with fabric manufacturers for the special fabrics needed for the kind of apparel we manufacture. Our customers know that they can trust us.”
And these customers come from almost all corners of the globe: the US, Europe, Middle East and Asia and, most recently, Latin America.
But developing the house brands is also very important to the company. “They are very close to our hearts, because we started out as our own brand and this is something we will continue to promote.” Right now, Bodynits (which is for females) and Bods (for males) are available in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia as well as China.
The last is a market that Bodynits International is targeting for its house brands. The company already has three retail outlets in Shanghai and “we are scouting around for more cities to enter”, said Mr Tan.
Thailand and the Philippines are also two new markets that he hopes Bodynits and Bods can penetrate. Mr Tan even hopes to bring the brands to Mexico, revealing: “It is very likely because we have an interested distributor there who wants to bring our brands over.”
Source: As published in Businesstimes Magazine words by Nande Khin
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Lynn Tan, right and modelling the latest creations: the company has already captured 25% of the local market.
Five Singaporean sisters, the Tans, are cashing in on the aerobic craze with their new brand of low price leotard. Sid Astbury interviewed them and looked at their competitors.
Leotards are selling like hot cakes at the Dance Centre of Singapore. ‘We’ve already sold 30 today and it’s only three o’clock,’ said a sales assistant at the city state’s largest retailer of dance costumes. ‘ A woman came in earlier, an Indonesian, and bought S$500 worth at one go.’ With women in Singapore and throughout the region in hot pursuit of fitness and body beauty, outlets like the Dance Centre are doing a roaring trade in high fashion ‘sweat’ suits.
The Dance Centre prides itself on exclusiveness and only stocks leading foreign brands like Bloch, Carushka and Roberto. The retailer does not, however, carry leotards made by a Singapore manufacturer known as Bodynits. Fortunately for Bodynits, other Singapore outlets and their customers cannot afford to be that choosey. By pricing competitively and marketing aggressively, the company has won around 25% of the local market for leotards, and a significant presence in the Malaysian and Indonesian markets as well.
Bodynits is managed by five sisters and is an offshoot of a lingerie store their parents started in the 1970s. Explained Yinn Tan, the sister who handles advertising and promotions: ‘The store could not keep pace with demand for leotards when the aerobics craze hit in 1982 and we saw an opportunity to manufacture ourselves.’ By chance, the Tan sisters met an American experienced in the design of leotards and she gave them a crash course. The Tan parents agreed to provide S$150,000 in seed money. Bodynits was born.
In 1984, the first full year of production, Bodynits posted sales of S$600,000. This year the company is expecting revenues to reach S$850,000, some 30% of which will come from exports to Malaysia and Indonesia. Next year, when further markets will be opened and the Bodynits range of products extended, revenues should rise to nearly S$2 million. The average Bodynits leotard sells for S$30 – about half the price of imported designer labels – and the profit margin for Bodynits is between 20% and 25%. Accessories like headbands and pullovers, shorts and tights, carry higher profit margins and are an increasingly important segment of the Bodynits range.
The basic formula for success is simple: a product of a quality similar to leading imported brands, but at a price the average Singaporean can afford. The Tan sisters have added refinements that give their product particular local appeal. Explained by Lynn Tan, the sister in charge of Bodynits (the other sisters handle production, accounts and general administration): ‘Our strong point is that we design for the Asian figure and not the western figure. We have more colours, more style and are less revealing.’ Tom Rao of Her World, one of Singapore’s leading women’s magazines, agreed with Lynn’s assessment. Said Rao: ‘Women here are very fashion conscious.’
Taking risks; being lucky
Design is indeed one of Bodynits strongest suits. Rather than employ a team of in-house designers, the firm accepts designs from anyone who cares to submit them. Said Lynn: ‘That way we get designs from women who are dancers themselves. They have a feel for the local market and for requirements like ease of movement.’ New designs are produced every three months and brochures sent to all Bodynits outlets. Orders are fulfilled on a sale or return basis. Said Lynn: ‘We knew the sale or return arrangement was risky, but we have been lucky and hardly any have ever been returned.’
Though progress so far has been sure-footed, Bodynits has exhausted the right of the firstborn and is now contending with companies cast in its own image. There are cheaper brands on the market and there is fierce discounting at shops specializing in foreign brands. Pirated versions of Bodynits designs are appearing. Worst of all, there are signs that aerobics will go the way of the skateboard.
To ensure there is life after leotards, Bodynits is diversifying into other garment lines it can feed into its superslick distribution channels. The company is spending heavily on advertising and linking up with other manufacturers for joint marketing exercises. A recent joint sally was with a producer of diet cola. Said Lynn: ‘We believe that with a good name and a good image we can expand into other types of leisure wear.’
Bodynits has no intention of forsaking leotards and is now honing strategies that should keep it ahead of the pack. To make sure Bodynits is not squeezed at the lower end of the market, there will be a budget range of leotards. ‘We need to do something for those with limited budgets and for the first time user,’ said Lynn. A more ambitious gambit is the impending move upmarket with a designer-label range aimed at the upper crust locals and the foreign market. The new label will compete head on with name brand imports.
But perhaps the most serious challenges will be internal rather than external. Bodynits has yet to come to terms with its own success. The sisters are contemplating a restructuring that will include a graduation from the current partnership format to limited liability status. Part of that restructuring would mean a firm delineation of lines of responsibility and of the profit sharing arrangement. Just how well the present sisterly relationship will stand up to the trials and tribulations of consolidation remains to be seen.
Source: As published in Asian Business Magazine
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