Joga Punian and his wife Davinder.
From Basement to Factory: Wildrose Garments Manufacturing Ltd. Celebrates a Quarter Century of Growth By Mark Kandborg
W
hen Joga Punian and his wife Davinder left India for Canada nearly 40 years ago, it was to build for themselves what he describes simply as “a good life.” For Punian, that meant becoming a successful businessman who also had time to spend with his family. While many of his friends were driving taxis or running convenience stores, Punian knew that type of life wasn’t for him. “I wanted something where I could go to work in the morning, leave at night
and have the weekend off,” he says. So in 1989, he and his wife started Wildrose Garments Manufacturing. There certainly wasn’t a lot of time off to be had in Wildrose Garments’ first few years, however. Punian kept his job working at a grinding factory until his new business could stand on its own, and the company was located in the basement of the family home. “My wife and I worked shoulder to shoulder,” he explains. “She handled more of the production end and I handled more of the business.”
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25 YEARS All that hard work paid off. In less than a year they’d grown enough to move to a larger commercial space with more exposure and better access. Then, a year later, they moved to another larger location. In only nine years, Wildrose outgrew a total of four locations, a truly astonishing number, before finally settling in at their current factory. When Joga and Davinder were working out of their basement in those early days, the two of them made sweatshirts and casual wear. Today, their modern facility is home to more than 80 employees, and they manufacture over a hundred different types of products including bib overalls, shop coats, coveralls, pants, shirts, vests, smocks, sportswear, head gear, aprons, parkas and jackets. Since many of their garments are made specifically for oil and construction industry workers whose comfort, safety and sometimes survival depend on the clothes they wear to insulate
them from the elements, many of Wildrose’s outer garments are rated to -40 and even -50 degrees. They also offer silk-screening and digital fabric printing. “The unions like to buy good products made in Canada,” Punian says, “so we do a lot of contract work. I’m also very thankful to Alsco, who’ve been our customers for 24 years. They are a huge company that has supported us a lot. We’ve also been doing work for the City of Edmonton since 1994.” One of the reasons they’re in such high demand by such big customers is because Wildrose is a local company, giving them a distinct advantage over their competition, most of which is out of the province, out of the country or overseas. “We’re quick and we offer good service. We can do customized items right away,” Punian explains. Compare this with his overseas counterparts, where turnaround time on a custom order can be up to three months, sometimes even more. Not to mention that if
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25 YEARS
Greg Sanborn
G
reg Sanborn joined Wildrose Garments in 1990 when the company was still in its early stages. He played a pivotal role in changing the sales landscape within Wildrose. His expertise and eagerness brought key accounts to the small, family-run business and helped in shaping the company to what it has become today.
something’s wrong with a product that’s been manufactured out of the country, if the stitching is weak or the colour is wrong for instance, there’s no choice but to ship it back. But at Wildrose, as Punian says, “we can do it in-house.” Customers are unlikely to find anything wrong with a Wildrose garment, however. Punian and his wife go to great lengths to make sure of that. Thanks to a team of 20 quality control experts whose sole responsibility is to watch over and inspect the work of more than 60 well-trained, experienced employees working diligently on customized equipment, Wildrose prides itself on maintaining a “near zero” return rate. Despite the advantages to the customer of local manufacturing, many garment companies have turned to outside suppliers for much, if not all, of their production. This is an option that Punian has no interest in.
“I came to this country with very little in hand and started life with nothing. When I was travelling, no one would give me a job even to wash the dishes. They wanted experience. So I took it as a challenge,” he says. “Immigrants don’t take the jobs, they create the jobs, and I’m very proud to set this example. That’s why we want to keep these jobs. I have the links. I can import from India, I can import from China just like anybody else. Or from Mexico. I don’t want to do that. I just want to keep jobs for Canadians. This country gave me a life.” Wildrose has been a family business from its beginnings in the basement of the Punian home, and Joga is pleased that this will continue with his son, Gin. “God willing, I will continue doing this, but I have only so many miles left,” he says. “I tell my son, money is not everything, but without money you can’t do
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25 YEARS anything. Be a good kid and keep the jobs for the people. Don’t cut pennies, don’t cut corners. Just share with the people. I’m proud of him.” Looking back on the last 25 years, Joga Punian couldn’t be happier. “I was so poor back there and God gave me all of this. I’m a very simple man. I’m a part of my employees. I’ve helped a lot of people, which has given me a very good feeling. We’ve survived some tough times, and I hope we’ll continue, with a young man to keep it going,” he says, adding simply, “We’ve found our home.”
To all those who’ve helped to make Wildrose Garments Manufacturing a success, we at Business in Edmonton wish you a very happy 25th anniversary.
8220 125 Ave • (780) 451-6122 info@wildrosegarments.com • www.wildrosegarments.com
Blentex Inc.
Congratulations Wildrose Garments on your 25th
anniversary!
Lincoln Fabrics is proud to play a key part in your success with our supply of high quality fire resistant fabrics.
www.lincolnfabrics.com
Textile Wholesalers & Importers Grossistes en textiles Congratulations Wildrose Garments on your 25th Anniversary! 2705 Michelin, Chomedey, Laval, Quebec H7L 5X6 Tel: (450) 973-4002 • Fax: (450) 681-2484 info@blentex.com
DOHERTY SCHULDHAUS LLP BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS
Congratulations on 25 Great Years! We look forward to the next 25 together with Wildrose Garments. 1451 Erin St Winnipeg, MB R3E 2S9 204.783.6009 • F: 204.783.8887
Congratulations Wildrose Garments Ltd. on your
25 years of Success! MILL WOODS TOWN CENTRE PROFESSIONAL BUILDING #219, 6203 – 28th Avenue Edmonton, Alberta
Phone: 780-450-1106
Congratulations Wildrose Garments on 25 years! From all your friends at Cansew and Shergroup Textiles!
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1-800-361-7722 info@cansew.ca www.cansew.com
416-787-0002 shergroup@shergrouptextiles.com www.shergrouptextiles.com