A Defence Ministry agency, The Tanning Organisation, returned to profitability last year after a major restructuring and cost cutting exercise. The agency makes leathergoods for the armed forces, including boots, bags, holsters and saddles.
In addition to competing with private contractors, they sell around 5% of production to the private sector. Production costs are expected to fall by 11.68% this year, helped by importing low-cost raw materials. Fabric will be partly substitute for cattle hides.
They intend producing fashion goods for sale to the general public and have launched their own My Way brand and logo featuring overlapping MW characters.
The logo is intended to communicate to consumers that the products have a distinctive style. Prices will be competitive with other companies.
They plan to open stores in shopping centres and also have direct sales teams selling door-to-door.
Managing director, Parnthep Pourpongpan, said the agency produces 550,000 pairs of combat boots annually for the Thai military, and 60,000 pairs of boots for the Cambodian forces under an aid project. The government of Brunei has ordered 3,000 pairs of trekking boots.
