To ensure that this new technology and practices could be used effectively and the factory would be a success, many Gobi employees were sent to Japan for training. By 1981 the new 10-hectare Gobi factory was up and running and the company was officially open for business. Gobi’s high quality cashmere products, sourced from traditional Mongolian herders, were soon available domestically and abroad, notably in Eastern European countries. The establishment and early success of Gobi brought many firsts for Mongolia: it was the first major Mongolian brand; it was the first time average Mongolian citizens had easy access to cashmere products; and it was the first time a Mongolian company had a significant presence in Europe.