Mainland Headwear gives back to local community, sets example for other Chinese enterprises

Continually giving back to the local community and respecting the customs and culture of Bangladesh has been key to the success of Mainland Headwear Holdings in its manufacturing venture in the country, said Pauline Ngan Po-ling, deputy chairman and managing director of the Hong Kong-listed firm.

“Instead of making pure profits by the taking advantage of local resources, it is indeed much more important to give back to people where your business is based,” she said.

“That is actually one major merit of many Chinese enterprises like ours that went overseas to expand their business, as well as the reason they earn respect and win hearts of the local people.”

Such an approach can help companies and businesses develop overseas in a more sustainable way, especially in underdeveloped Global South countries, according to Ngan.

Mainland Headwear, with revenue reaching $189.7 million last year, has manufacturing facilities in the Chinese mainland, Bangladesh, Mexico and Cambodia.

With headquarters in Hong Kong, Mainland Headwear was founded by Ngan Hei Keung and his wife Pauline Ngan in 1986. Listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2000, it has been the only publicly listed headwear manufacturer in the world.

Twelve years ago, following the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, Pauline Ngan made a bold move by relocating a major production line from Shenzhen, in Guangdong province, to Bangladesh, becoming one of the first entrepreneurs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to invest in the South Asian nation.

With no electricity, no decent transport, and even no clean drinking water at the very start, she overcame these difficulties and built her facility, Unimas Sportswear Ltd, in a rural area around a 45-minute drive from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

Now the factory has transformed into a large-scale factory with tens of thousands of employees.

With a positive working environment and good salaries, her company has not only provided employment but also stimulated the local economy. Earning a solid reputation, the company drew a lot of young workers to the area.

Establishing manufacturing in Bangladesh, Pauline Ngan has built her firm into a reliable, trustworthy entity that shoulders its social responsibilities very well.

“We always give the workers the wages on time. Even during the COVID-19 years, we continued to pay them for months though they could not come to the factory to do any work, as I know they need to feed their families in the difficult time,” she said.

During the years in Bangladesh, one thing that Ngan never forgot is to contribute to the local community. Every year, her company distributes “lucky bags” to workers and other locals, donating daily necessities such as rice, flour, sugar, and oil.

Besides, the entrepreneur has also established a poverty alleviation fund, donating to build a market and an orphanage in Bangladesh.

Han Kun, president of the Chinese Enterprises Association in Bangladesh, said Chinese overseas companies like Mainland Headwear set a good example by considering the welfare of local residents and helping solve their practical problems — an approach that in turn supports the companies’ own healthy growth.

Contact the writers at vivienxu@chinadailyapac.com