Mc jeans CEO aims for market leadershIp

Thana, a former marketing executive of Total Access Communication (DTAC), joined PK Garment (Import-Export), the manufacturer and distributor of Mc Jeans, two months ago as its new chief executive.

"My aim is to promote Mc Jeans to become [the most] popular jeans brand locally," he said. "My first priority is people, as Mc Jeans already has strong points in production capability and distribution."

In gearing towards increased success, Mc Jeans has recently undergone an organisational restructuring by adding a new team of 12 young management professionals to the company's operations. These young bloods are skilled in digital marketing, creativity, marketing events and information technology, he said.

Over the rest of the year, the team will set a new direction and craft the details of four strategies - brand evolution, product innovation, production efficiency and effortless distribution - which will help make Mc Jeans a market leader, he said.

"Through strong teamwork, we will be able to expand our business internationally, and at the same time import international brands for the Thai market," the CEO said.

"I have spent the past two months visiting our dealers and sales outlets in several provinces, and have found that there is still high growth potential in Thailand." He said all Mc Jeans products were specially designed for Thais.

"Today, we have a very strong customer base for Mc Jeans, with strong loyalty to the brand, especially upcountry. For Bangkokians, they have high loyalty to the brand rather than its functions, such as its [good] fit. We want to turn such targets in Bangkok into Mc Jeans customers," he said.

The company has set a growth target of 15 per cent per annum. Mc Jeans hopes to achieve Bt1.7 billion in sales this year, about 20-25 per cent higher than last year's level.

Mc Jeans is currently the second market leader in Thailand's Bt5-billion jeans market with a 35-per-cent share. Another of Thana's missions is to make Mc Jeans a "dream" organisation.

As to the incoming Pheu Thai-led government's pledge to introduce a flat Bt300 daily minimum wage, he said he was positive the measure would benefit the company's lower-income staff.

Meanwhile, to support future growth, the company plans to spend Bt200 million on building a fourth factory, in Bangkok, bringing overall production capacity to 4 million pairs per annum. Construction will commence next year, the chief executive said.