FOND MEMORIES OF MADURA COATS EDIFICE- 570

               TALL EDIFICE ON A MAKEOVER 

What started off as an offhand post in Facebook , has  set in motion a whole lot of former Coats Employees who have been  forthcoming to voice their genuine feelings about their days as an employee  at Madura  Coats, Ambasamudram .

As for myself , I joined the then Harvey Mills which went on to become Madura Coats Ltd in the year 1974 as an Apprentice.  , It would not be out of place to add here  that , though having Ravanasamudram as my native place ( Hardly 15 kms away from Papanasam ) my association to South and to be very specific ,  to Tamilnadu till then was limited to the annual summer holidays spent in my  native village .
Having done my entire schooling and college in Bhilai , Kharagpur near Calcutta  and Mumbai , it was widely believed both by my parents and by myself that it would be only a matter of time before I shifted back to Mumbai on the  lookout for greener  pastures . Days went on to become Months and  , Months to  Years and finally to Decades .

All the soothsayings  ended up  being  proved wrong.  My entire career was spent in Madura Coats Ltd in its Weaving Mill , Loomshed and  with its 1200 looms .  It was  by far the biggest composite Textile Mill in the South and also one of the largest  in the Country . 

I was also an Executive in the PICANOL AND SULZER Shuttle Less shed also for some time . I was infact sent to Iper  in Belgium to be Trained on PICANOL  Airjet Weaving Machines and to Faverges in France to be trained on the STAUBLI Dobby .

PICANOL AND CIMMCO are names which are held in as much  awe and reverence as the many Deities in my  own Swamy Room . They have after all been the Names which have been  the source of livelihood for me and  my family . Today whatever I am is because of them . My car infact had a PICANOL sticker on prominent display on its rear glass panel.


I have held very important positions in both the Shuttle and Shuttle less sections .

5230 , 5231 , 4084 , HO55 , Bob Schott , Chambrey , Denim , HP401 , 9 to 5 , Saraband , 1023 , 1024 , interlinings are just some names and numbers which will live with me .

Running and Shed Efficiency of more than 100 % on three continuous days for the Sulzer Shed has stood the test of time and has not been broken till the closure of the Mills .

2/100 s Voile is one variety with which I have had very  fond memories . I had  been associated with running Nearly 200 looms of the same from the initial  conceptual stages . These Voiles in their umpteen shades were a favorite of the Ladies from across the  length and breadth of the country and beyond . It was in the year 2002 that the last PICK was inserted on a VOILE LOOM . We are now in 2023 and it is nice to know that Ladies are still looking out for Voile Blouse Bits from Madura Coats Fake or otherwise .

Premium Ready Made Brands  VAN HEUSEN  , PETER ENGLAD VAN HEUSEN were also at one time  associated with Madura Coats .

ONE REALLY FELT PROUD TO BE AT THE BACKBONE OF A COMPANY THAT OWNED THESE PREMIUM BRANDS FOR MEN AND THE HUGE DEMAND FOR VOILE BY THE LADIES .

The establishment which had more than 10000 direct and indirect employees on its rolls is a pale shadow of itself now . The days of its Fabric Glory are long over . The Management has chosen other avenues in its pursuit of doing business now .

Sad that Knowingly or Unknowingly , by Design or Otherwise , we live to see the fall of such a tall edifice  - SAD INDEED .

As an afterthought , I would like to add here that its original interest which was in the Sewing Threads Division is very much in operation now. I had been associated with this as a Manager at its Omega Threads Division at Ambasamudram for close to 15 years . APR  Kovilkulam and the Ambasamudram OMEGA  THREADS as Franchise  Operators of Madura Coats are also names which have meant so much to me .