Thirty Years Of Sewing

Where I Went

Out to a sewing factory owned by an old friend of our director. He buys his fabric abroad himself and has been producing in house for thirty years, including long runs for a number of high end labels.

Why He Called

He asked for the meeting. I know a fair number of companies on the export side, and he wanted to talk about whether there was a way to sell through them. So I drove out and looked at the floor.

What I Saw

Machines that have been maintained rather than replaced, and operators who have been at the same station long enough that nobody is checking a diagram. Whatever else you think about a place like that, the work is consistent. He walked me through the line himself rather than handing me to a manager, which told me most of what I needed to know.

Thirty years in one building is a kind of specification you cannot write into a purchase order.