Textile Plant Workers Laid Off after Owner Ceases Production and Moves to Europe

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas). Peter Stone Fashion International (Saint-Leonard, Quebec) stopped production March 16, 2007 at the plant in Saint-Leonard as previously announced. The factory, formerly known as the S.F.I. Apparel Corporation, opened almost 65 years ago and was bought only two years ago by Oxford Industries (Atlanta, Georgia), a producer and marketer of branded and private label apparel.

The closure of the plant affects 250 employees, who last November walked off the job and marched to their boss’s office with a union leader demanding he address rumors the company may move production elsewhere. They were officially informed a week after the march that production would shut down sometime in March, once the owner’s spring 2007 production run was completed.

According to company officials, production is moving to a top facility in southern Italy, beginning with the company’s fall 2007 production. The company is still assessing different options available for the plant.

UNITE HERE, a union for garment workers, has been pushing the federal government to seek solutions to protect the Canadian apparel industry from continued surging imports from China. It has been reported that at least 50,000 jobs have been lost in Canada since quotas on garment imports declined in 2002.

Data extracted from the Industrial Info’s online database shows the Saint-Leonard plant among 83 operating plants in the Textiles and Apparel Industry and among over 830 operating Industrial Manufacturing plants in the U.S. and Canada. So far this year, Industrial Info has already reported on 56 active projects as part of the 189 set to kick-off in 2007 and beyond. They are estimated at $544 million and $16.63 billion respectively.

Oxford Industries, Incorporated provides retailers and consumers with a wide variety of apparel products and services to suit their individual needs.

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