Sritex wins order from NATO

JAKARTA (JP): Central Java textile maker PT Sritex has won a Rp 25 billion (US$10.87 million) contract to make 500,000 military uniforms for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) starting this year, a company executive said.

Sritex president Mohammad Lukminto said that during the first stage his company would make standard military uniforms for Germany.

"After this, we hope we will get more orders from other NATO- member countries," he said.

Lukminto said it took two years to win the order and German military officials made several site inspections to check the company's production facilities, product quality, labor conditions, waste treatment, shipment procedures and other things.

Lukminto said Sritex would have no trouble meeting NATO's uniform requirements and said there would be a German representative posted here to ensure quality control.

Lukminto said raw material for the uniforms would be imported from Germany.

In the first stage Sritex will make 500,000 uniforms worth Rp 25 billion. So far three containers of these uniforms have been shipped to Germany.

Sritex vice president Pramono said Sritex would soon make trousers and jackets to go with the uniforms in a separate contract yet to be signed.

Sritex is in Central Java's Sukoharjo regency, near Solo. The company, which was founded 30 years ago, employs about 12,000 workers and exports to America, Europe, Africa and Asia. (pwn)