CIEL Floréal Knitwear celebrated its 50th anniversary, on Wednesday, in its former premises in Mangalkhan, now refurbished and converted into a modern and elegant business center known as Nouvelle Usine. The event was held in the presence of the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth; the Chairman of CIEL Group, Mr Arnaud Dalais, the Chairman of CIEL Textile, Mr Jean-Pierre Dalais, as well as other eminent personalities.
The transformation of Nouvelle Usine into an urban business centre is the first in a series of projects to restore former industrial buildings led by CIEL Properties. The 14,000 square metre building, home to CIEL Textile, has been redesigned to accommodate a new generation of businesses in a modern setting, in line with the Government’s aim to create dynamic, mixed-use areas surrounding metro stations.
In his address, the Prime Minister warmly thanked Floréal for its contribution in the development of the country and commended the group for its “glorious 50 years of success”. Mr Jugnauth congratulated the company’s former directors, current directors, and employees. “You have achieved an incredible milestone and are moving on to bigger and better things. Not only for your organisation but also the entire hospitality industry in Mauritius,” he said.
He recalled that Floréal Knitwear has also contributed to the country’s industrialisation and expressed special appreciation to Sir Pierre Dalais and the Group’s other founders, whom he added, had a far-sighted vision and a deep commitment to morphing the industry into a powerhouse.
Mr Jugnauth added that the textile industry ranks high on the Government’s agenda and remains a source of employment. He recalled that the textile industry plays a crucial role in promoting economic diversification and has helped the economy to move away from a monocrop economy, and created opportunities in sectors such as tourism, ICT, financial services, and real estate development. He added that today, the textile industry accounts for 48% of domestic exports and employs more than 30,000 people.
Speaking about sustainability, the Prime Minister said that the adoption of cleaner technology is essential for survival and hence the need to implement green technology strategy to gain competitive edge. He expressed appreciation that CIEL Group has adopted sustainable practices in a quest to meet the stringent requirements of international buyers and is determined to offset the negative effects of their Green House Gases emissions by investing in renewable energy sources and energy-efficient solutions to replace the use of fossil fuels.
Manufacturing, he stated, has been among the front runners which have recovered their pre-COVID levels with 13.2 % progression in output last year. Similarly, export of manufactured goods increased by 16.5 %. At the national level, export of Textile and Clothing went up from Rs 20 billion in 2020 to Rs 22.9 billion in 2021, he said.
Prime Minister Jugnauth indicated that the rising trend is being maintained. In the first semester of 2022, domestic export registered a growth of 20.3 % compared to the same period last year. Export of textile and clothing witnessed a surge of 16.7 %. All other sub-sectors, including Fish and Fish Preparations, Medical Devices, Jewellery, and Watches and Clocks performed equally well, he underlined.
He however acknowledged that the manufacturing sector needs additional labour to cope with the increasing demand. He highlighted that Government is fully attentive to the requests of operators for recruitment of skilled foreign workers adding that every effort is being made to expedite processing of applications.
For his part, the Chairman of CIEL Textile, Mr Jean-Pierre Dalais, said that the Nouvelle Usine embodies the leading Mauritian textile group’s devotion, values, and determination to place sustainability at the heart of its development. “With Nouvelle Usine, we are entering a new era of shared and sustainable growth”, he added.
He recalled that the story of CIEL Textile began with Floréal Knitwear, which counted only 150 employees at the time. By diversifying into textiles in the 1970s, CIEL Group enabled the creation of a thousand jobs through its factories in rural areas,” he said.
As for the Chairman of the CIEL Group, Mr Arnaud Dalais, he acknowledged the contribution of those who have helped drive the group forward. “The road has not been easy; it has even been tough at times. However, we have had high-quality teams and enlightened management working with us each time. Our history is one of men and women, one of hard work and the continuous pursuit of excellence in our operations, with the goal of ensuring the satisfaction of our customers”, he concluded.
Exhibition “50 years of Timeless vision”
Prime Minister Jugnauth then proceeded to inaugurate the exhibition entitled “50 years of Timeless vision”, which allowed guests to relive the significant events of the Group’s history and reflect on the company’s contribution to the country’s economic development.
