Thies keeps Korean dye & finishing house 'one step ahead'
21 Dec '07
3 min read
With the high demand for dyeing and finishing of knitwear in the sixties, Mr. Byung-Nam Lim instigated the amalgamation of 20 small Companies into a purpose-built mill – taking total control of the new company three years later.
By 1982 Soodo had, together with 50 other similar companies, been relocated by the Seoul Authorities in a move to a Dyeing and Finishing Industrial complex in Anson City.
With the increase of export orders by textile trading house Samsung in Europe and later the USA, production for Soodo was to increase to a peak of 300 t/month of 100% Cotton.
A change of direction by Samsung to electronic goods was to see the start of a downturn for commission dyers and finishers in Korea forcing Soodo to look at its operation.
By introducing synthetic fibres and maintaining its quality image Soodo was able to compete with its competitors.
The company, led by Mr Lim, became the first Korean operation to handle reactive dyes for fabrics offering 'washing fastness' with an imported US finishing line and high quality dyestuff from the UK.
Despite its competitors following the trend with similar products, Soodo was still able to maintain its lead but with production falling to around 200 t/month.
“By concentrating on R&D for new fabrics and techniques we were able to provide more hi-added value products – hence giving us higher profit margins,” said Mr Lim.
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