Manama, Bahrain – 04 January 2016: WestPoint Home LLC (WPH) with the American Chamber of Commerce Bahrain (AmCham) met with the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, H.E. Zayed R. Alzayani, to discuss further investment in the Kingdom of Bahrain and how WPH will mitigate the impact of the potential expiration of the Tariff Preference Level (TPL) that allows duty free access on textile exports from Bahrain to the U.S.
WestPoint Home announced it will begin the third expansion of its spinning capacity at its Bahrain Manufacturing Complex in the past three years. “The third phase expansion project will be $9m dollar and will increase spinning capacity by 38%. Spinning more yarn in Bahrain will decrease lead times, increase flexibility and will, along with other initiatives help to mitigate the impact of the anticipated TPL expiration mid 2016 and will allow the company to continue to import Bahrain manufactured textile product into the USA duty free” according to Normand Savaria, President and CEO.
Mr. Savaria went on to add, “the support that we have been provided from various Ministries of the Bahraini Government as we conduct our business activities and implement these expansion projects and hire and train both foreign and local employees has given us the confidence to continue to build out our manufacturing base in Bahrain and increase our imports to the USA by 15% just last year. We look forward to our future in Bahrain.”
The company will have invested over $25m dollars in expanding capacity, capabilities and environmental projects over the past three years including additional weaving, the spinning projects, expansion of manual and automatic sewing and embroidery capacity at the conclusion of this project.
WestPoint Home celebrated 202 years of textile manufacturing heritage in 2015.
WestPoint Home manufactures and sells products globally to leading retail and hospitality customers under popular owned brands including Martex, Vellux, Grand Patrician, Patrician, Luxor, Utica, Modern Living and Nostalgia. Under licensing agreements, the company produces and distributes products under the brands Rachel Ashwell, Southern Tide, Izod, Jill Rosenwald, Collier Campbell, Portico, Under the Canopy, Amy Sia, Bini Chic, Dena Home and Haute Girls, Downtown Abbey, Kathy Davis and Shell Rummel.
The WestPoint Home legacy is simple. High quality, affordable, innovative and fashionable bed and bath linens designed, produced and delivered to meet our customer’s expectations.
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ABOUT AMCHAM BAHRAIN
The American Chamber of Commerce in Bahrain (AmCham Bahrain) is an independent, non-profit business association that helps its members succeed by providing a wide range of networking and knowledge sharing opportunities, government advocacy, valuable business intelligence, and customized business support services. www.amchambahrain.org
Local Bahraini workforce packaging goods for shipment at WestPoint Home facility in Bahrain.
30% of Bahraini women who work in the manufacturing sector are in the textile & garment industry. Local Bahraini workforce inspecting the woven bed sheets.