Page 53 - From Zero To Hero

fromzerotohero |53
them consulting MATRADE in the early 1990s.
MATRADE has been an incredible support and
encouragement, especially in the early days when
there were very few early exporters.
The export industry for Malaysia was in its
infancy and little known, back then. Hence, the
assistance received from MATRADE was a tre-
mendous boost.
The business growth started late for the com-
pany. In 1991, Roondy (M) Sdn Bhd was selected
to representMalaysia inDusseldorf, Germany for
theGDS International TradeFair, oneof the largest
accessories and shoe fairs in theworld.Thiswas an
exciting period for the business, as the company
was handpicked to represent the country among
nine others.
However, the outcome of the fair was far from
satisfactory. No one knew where Malaysia was,
let alone understand that Malaysians had the
capabilities to design internationally acceptable
fashion wear. Half the time was spent explaining
to visitors where Malaysia was.
International perceptionofMalaysia intheearly
90s was less than promising. For the first year of
participation in the fair, Lewre International had
to return with no profitable networks at all. This
continuedfor threemoreyearsuntil the fourthyear
of participation, when the company finally made
it’s big break with two customers from Lebanon
and Japan.
Although no one knew about Malaysia or its
offerings in the beginning, seeing the company
at trade fairs year after year brought about a great
change inperception. Ironically, the company fared
well in the 1997 economic crisis, as by then, Lewre
International was thrivingon70%export revenue.
With the company’s continued presence at the
trade fairs year after year, Lewre International
startedtogainrecognitionandbegantocollaborate
withmany famous international designers, includ-
ingBenDeLisi, DeepakPerwani, EricChoong, Eric
Way, John Rocha, Justin Oh, Kai, Khoon Hooi,