Denim manufacturer Saitex – which claims to operate the “cleanest denim factories in the world” – has opened its first factory outside Vietnam – in Los Angeles. The company says the factory is a “first-of-its-kind” facility featuring laser cutting, semi-automated sewing, robotic spraying, 3D laser detailing, and one-step wash machines connected to a state-of-the-art water recycling system.
Saitex wanted to open a factory in Los Angeles – which it regards as the heart of the American denim industry – to offer production closer to the US brands among its customers. Describing the result as the “factory of the future”, the company claims it will allow for an automated supply chain featuring interconnected ordering and costing, as well shorter lead times. Through the use of its cloud-based digital ‘Speed to Market’ system, Saitex says it aims to provide online garment design, inventory management and a trajectory towards ‘made to order’ capabilities.
Saitex CEO and Founder Sanjeev Bahl said: “Saitex USA is another step in our journey, providing an opportunity to bring sustainable manufacturing and jobs to the United States, a first step in re-evaluating and reinventing global supply chains.”
Saitex, a certified B Corp, claims to operate the world’s first-and-only denim factory – in Ho Chi Minh City – that is both Bluesign approved and Fair Trade and LEED-certified.
This Vietnamese facility produces an average of 18,000 pairs of jeans per day, has a $2 mn onsite recycling system, and uses just one litre of water to produce a pair of jeans, compared to the industry standard of 80 litres.
