Intertek Group plc (LON:ITRK), a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, has announced that it has entered into an exclusive services appointment and strategic partnership with Bangladesh Export Import Company Limited (BEXIMCO), a diversified private sector group in Bangladesh across a wide range of industries, and one of South Asia’s largest vertically integrated textile and garment companies.
The spread of COVID-19 has seen the demand for PPE rise significantly and as disease continues to spread throughout the globe, the World Health Organisation has described, the chronic, global shortage of PPE as “one of the most urgent threats to our collective ability to save lives.” South Asia and Bangladesh are now emerging as the new hotspots for PPE manufacturing and have ramped up the manufacturing of world-class, large-scale PPE.
BEXIMCO, based in Dhaka, has recently set up a new PPE Industrial Park, close to their company headquarters, having exported 6.5 million PPE gowns to the USA, with a vision to become one of the major players in PPE manufacturing globally.
For more than 15 years, Intertek has served as a trusted partner to BEXIMCO, providing Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification (ATIC) services for their textiles and apparels business. Under the strategic agreement, Intertek will have exclusive rights to operate and manage the new PPE quality assurance laboratory from planning and set-up, to providing guidelines on equipment, managing the daily operations and provision of technical experts to delivering accreditations. The operational lab will cater to all customers across the PPE ecosystem in Bangladesh including the Government of Bangladesh (Ministry of Health), WHO, DGDA (Directorate General of Drug Administration) and private manufacturers alike.
Intertek’s extensive expertise in providing independent Total Quality Assurance solutions in this sector, across a global network of labs, will provide BEXIMCO with complete end-to-end solutions to manufacture, test and distribute PPE equipment around the globe.
Commenting on the agreement, André Lacroix, CEO of Intertek said:
“We are delighted to have entered into this exclusive agreement with BEXIMCO, an organisation which has long been the leader in manufacturing high quality garments and textiles in Bangladesh. We look forward to deepening our existing partnership and supporting BEXIMCO’s vision in becoming a key player in the manufacture of PPE globally, thereby leveraging our global reach and experience to ensure that all safety, hygiene and quality standards are met for PPE garments throughout the world.”
Syed Naved Husain, CEO BEXIMCO, said: “We are extremely proud to be working with our partners at Intertek. Our vision is simple, we want to create the world’s leading PPE facility, capable of manufacturing, testing, certifying and distributing PPE around the world all under one roof. Intertek is a global leader in Total Quality Assurance solutions and partnering with them will ensure that our PPE is compliant with the most rigorous, independently verified standards across the globe.”
For almost two decades, Intertek has helped Bangladesh industries ensure the quality, quantity and safety of their products, processes and systems, supporting clients involved with textiles and garments, leather and footwear, food, petroleum, petrochemicals, agricultural products, pre- shipment inspection under contract with the government, industrial technical services, high-end engineering projects, government projects and international systems certifications.
