Have you ever visited an apparel factory?
To build on my recent training at Yamamoto Co., Ltd. (ApparelX is run by Okura Shoji Co., Ltd., and Yamamoto Co., Ltd. is within the same parent company, EXCY) on order-made suits and custom formal accessories, I was given an opportunity to visit Tex Tech’s (formally, Gents) factory. Yamamoto has worked with Tex Tech for about 40 years and our relationship with them has, not only been maintained through regularly placing production orders, but has actually improved over the past couple years due to better customer service.
Through the company’s name change and acquisitions, Tex Tech’s prior limited production capabilities expanded to include apparel production outside of suit jacket and pants, to blouses, blousons, skirts, coats etc. as well as being able to produce in small batches. Although they are unable to handle knitwear (sweaters, jersey shirts, etc.) Being able to produce various items at the high quality means that brands from all over the country have their pieces made here. Even first samples are made with the up most quality and go through the same rigorous inspections. The factory is also certified by the IACDE (International Association of Clothing Designers and Executives) for their quality work.
The factory regularly hires a mix of experienced employees and younger, fresh employees, to allow growth in skills and change. While hiring experienced workers may mean shorter training time, techniques may have improved over time with new perspectives and technologies. Tex Tech encourages employees to widen their skill set and be able to work on multiple parts of the “line.” They also allow them to learn new skills at their own pace to ensure quality work.
Even though our tour must have been disruptive to their workflow, everyone was kind and explained things very clearly. Making it easy for us to understand when we have limited prior knowledge in how the factory works. There are a lot of steps and it takes collaboration from all parts to work smoothly.
Learnings related to our OEM service if using their factory:
- They follow tech pack directions as closely as possible within their capabilities. If they realize that they are unable to follow directions while in the first sample production process, they will slightly alter the piece to be able to complete it. They will always note it when shipping it out.
- They are flexible with communication and are happy to have discussions on designs and alterations on samples etc.
- As they cannot handle tech packs in foreign languages, we will have to translate it here at our office. As words can hold different meanings in the industry, please have as much details as possible, including images and sketches.
While visiting Japanese fabric manufacturers’ factories is difficult, apparel factories are a little more welcoming. I hope this glimpse into Tex Tech’s factory is helpful.