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| Uratex receives its Trusted Brand Award from Reader's Digest. Contributed photo |
FOR 17 straight years, Uratex stomped its class as the Philippines' number one foam manufacturer as cited by popular magazine Reader's Digest in its Trusted Brand Awards list.
Already in the industry since 1968, Uratex's recent feat cemented its legacy as the go-to brand for high-quality pillows and mattresses.
"We really take care of our quality. We invest in the most advanced machines, and the most important thing is that we really control the quality. If we don't pass our standard, the product will not go out," William Lee, Uratex's executive vice president, told Stu Traveled over the weekend during the celebration of the company's latest citation from Reader's Digest at the Ronac Living Gallery in Mandaluyong.
The special Saturday began when selected members of the media visited one of Uratex's 39 manufacturing plants in Plaridel, where officials showed how the pillows and mattresses are made.
The Uratex Plaridel plant also takes pride in using purely renewable energy as its source of operations.
"Only standard products will go out, so every batch we have in production, we test the quality," added Lee.
He also said that Uratex is taking notes from how German and Japanese foam manufacturers make the beddings.
"Madalas, ang sinasabi ko, 'How come the Germans and Japanese get better quality than us?' So we adopt the system, we learn from them, and we put them up here in the Philippines," Lee further said.
The adoption of German and Japanese technologies is just part of what Lee coined as the "continuous improvement" Uratex is doing, which makes them the "GOAT" in foam manufacturing.
"There is no ending in learning and improvement," Lee further said, adding that some of the top Uratex officials attend various foam manufacturing events to check out some of the new innovations in making the pillows.
He also said that he wants to see continuous improvement going on by the next in line to running the Uratex business.
Something better coming up
Lee then revealed that Uratex has begun constructing its 40th manufacturing plant in Leganes, Iloilo, another testament to how the company grew from a simple office in Pasay into what it is now.
"Of course, it's hard work, challenging, and accepting improvements. Yun ang importante. We don't just stay here. We're happy today because tomorrow will be better. We always look for better," Lee added.
One example of "looking for better" is how they turned to renewable sources in powering some of their plants, including the one in Plaridel.
"If you stay here and you are not improving, that's your end, so it should be improving every year. A new technology is coming up," Lee further said.
He added that Uratex plans to have all its 39 running plants operated by renewable energy, especially solar energy, by 2030.
