Dalou Wong (right), production manager at Crimson Dawn, points out something about a garment to Monica Shackleford (centre), serger operator. Meanwhile Paulette Rhoden, general manager of Crimson Dawn, looks on. - ContributedDESPITE THE economic and global challenges now being faced by small businesses in the local apparel sector, Crimson Dawn continues to perform well, not only in the local, but also the regional and international marketplace.
A producer of T-shirts and sportswear for the local and international market, the company has over the years stamped its trademark on the sports industry.
The company was started 28 years ago by husband and wife Richard and Paulette Rhoden at 2 Central Avenue in St. Andrew.
According to Paulette Rhoden, general manager, they were motivated to start the business because of her husband's experience in the garment industry, where he had some skills in knitting.
"It was the whole national pride of wanting to make something Jamaican that would be acceptable to the Jamaican public," she said.
Remembering the early years of the business, she said, "We were in one building at first... and I remember the first month's rent of $370, which my husband had to scrape up every penny to pay. It was like $3 million at the time."
Mrs. Rhoden revealed that they started the business with their small savings, and with the help of the former Small Business Loan Board, which gave a loan to jump-start the business.
"We paid off each loan and we grew, then we got another loan and over the 10 and 12 years, we used monies from the Small Business Loan Board... at the time, those carried were very low interest rates and that is how the business really grew," she disclosed.
However, over the years, Crimson Dawn, like many small businesses have faced some challenging times.
Citing some of the difficulties faced by the business, she said the daily price increases forced her to make adjustments to her budget. As a result, the company accumulated a lot of debts because of the high interest rates on the loans.
"We had borrowed money at lower rates and over the years the interest escalated and business 'yo-yoed' and we were just not able to hold our own," she said.
The company was thrown a lifeline by the Government who, through the then Ministry of Industry and Commerce, established the Apparel Sector Financing Scheme where millions of dollars were earmarked to help those in the sector. Crimson Dawn was one of the local companies that benefited from the Scheme.
"Through that, we were able to use the portfolio of EX-IM Bank and National Investment Bank of Jamaica (NIBJ). They tried to consolidate and to interact with the company to see how they could help us," she said.
The company was also helped with operating capital through the Scheme.
Not yet out of the woods, Mrs. Rhoden said despite these difficulties the company was still trying.
"We are glad to be an icon out there... everyone has passed through Crimson Dawn. If it was not at prep school, it was at primary school or high school, if it was not at high school it was as an athlete or a sporting person and later on in the corporate world," she said.
Locally the company supplies sportswear to several prep and high schools, business house leagues, community leagues in netball, basketball and football, and corporate promotional T-shirts and polo shirts.
Regionally, the company exports its sportswear to 16 Caribbean and non-Caribbean countries. Currently, the company employs some 65 persons in its factory, printery and sales department.
"We are holding our own and we are trying to compete despite the wide imports that are coming in, but we are not crying over spilt milk we are just trying to beat them," she said with a chuckle.
