A SHOE BRAND OF NAZMA KHATUN’S KUSHUM KALI SHOE FACTORY
If you knew Kushum Kali Shoes Factory already, a small local shoes factory who even year ago supplied shoes for others brand, then you may wonder by knowing that they have launched their product line or brand in Radison Blue Water Garden. They have invited 200+ dealer from across the country and 3 motorcyles and 3 laptop were gifted among them. If you don’t know them, you may wonder by questioning why it is a news, anybody can book a 5-star hotel ball room and can launch their product. But if you know the incredible journey of Nazma Khatun, owner of Kushum Kali Shoe Factory, you realize that why it is news? You realize that there is no wonder. It is obvious.
Journey begins in 2005…
Nazma Khatun, an ordinary woman came from a remote village in Rajshahi, had a very tough life. She became mom before her SSC exam. She completed her SSC in 1995 and a diploma in paramedics in 1999. In 2000, she got a paramedical job at one of Medical Center in Banani. That time her husband was a marketing manager at a local shoe company. A er much thought, they have decided to start a shoe company. It was only a wish long time as they couldn’t manage initial capital to invest for the project. In 2005, she managed to took a loan of Taka 20,000 from a co-operative society in the medical center, where she used to work. With that loan, Nazma and her husband set up a small manufacturing facility. It was a small rented room at BDT 1400 monthly, 2 workers and started making sandal from synthetic upper that they supplier to local markets. Her husband take order from different store in old Dhaka and their factory used to produce those.
From 2005-2009, it was a pick and drop of business. They used to manage some more loan and at the same it was hand to mouth situation. They went very traditional way of shoe selling. Her husband had to make a certain amount of cash sales every day. He used to take
sample products to various shoe retailers and collect orders from them. At the end of every day, he went to the customers to deliver their ordered products and receive the payment.
In 2009, Kushum Kali got a big order from Bay Emporium and with their product quality, commitment, no give up attitude, they eventually became their enlisted supplier. Business flourished. Within the next 3 years, they started to get orders from Bata and Jenny’s, besides Bay Emporium. By that time, they already had had a full-fledged production unit with 65 workers working at the factory. They rented a 4,000-sq.ft. factory located in East Badda which was later moved to Gazipur.
In 2012, disaster struck, and Kushum Kali factory caught fire. Everything that built 7 years with lot of pain and success, turned into ashes. And here Nazma Khatun again came up with her extraordinary conviction and courage. Soon the business became stable and was growing fairly.
In 2013, Nazma Khatun started to look for expansion opportunities and was aiming for international market. She found out that foreign companies could open production facilities and run businesses in Malaysia. They raised the required capital and flew to Malaysia to establish a company there. Now Kushum Kali factory have our own showroom in Kuala Lumpur where they offer shoes on both retail and wholesale levels.
That same year, they have created their own brand in a small and lean way as a part of their expansion drive. That’s how VINCA came to exist.
In 2021, Kushum Kali have made grant launch of their another brand DR. MARK in Radison Blue, the story you knew already.
