"Elderly Workers Also Serve as Skilled Workers in Our Factory"

Most Factory Workers in Late 50s to 60s at 'Camp Reborn'
Founded in 2016, Leading the Military Summer Combat Uniform Sector

An employee is sewing at the Camp Reborn factory.

Located in Hanam City, Gyeonggi Province, Hanam Technovalley U1 Center houses a factory on its 10th floor that produces military uniforms. Upon entering, the atmosphere is far from the dull environment one might typically associate with a military uniform factory. The spacious area of about 100 pyeong (approximately 3,300 square feet) features high ceilings and wide gaps between sewing machines and other equipment. Around 40 employees sit at sewing machines, diligently making military uniforms, and upon closer inspection, many have graying hair. While in most factories, workers in their late 50s to 60s might have retired from production lines, here they form the core workforce. This factory, where elderly skilled workers are active, belongs to Camp Ribbon, a company that supplies work uniforms and sportswear to government offices such as the military and police.

On the 21st, Sujin Jo, CEO of Camp Ribbon, said, "We treat skilled workers as experts to overcome the reality where functional personnel lose their place due to aging." Jo, who majored in fashion at Ewha Womans University and worked as a designer in the apparel industry for over 20 years, founded Camp Ribbon in 2016 with this in mind. The sewing industry has been declining, and production factories have been moving overseas, making it difficult for experienced skilled workers to find jobs. Jo thought it was a waste to let their skills go unused. "I started the business to create a space where people in their 50s and 60s could work with their skilled techniques," she explained.

CEO So Su-jin (first on the right) and employees are discussing the design.

The procurement market, where domestic production is often a basic requirement, became a stage where Camp Ribbon could demonstrate its technical competitiveness. Jo said, "We have established a one-stop system covering the entire process from design development to production, completion, and delivery." Moreover, Camp Ribbon is one of the few apparel companies to have obtained KS (Korean Industrial Standards) certification and operates a design development research institute staffed by two PhDs and two master's degree holders.

Based on this, Camp Ribbon has rapidly grown in a short time in the military uniform supply market, where many companies have long competed. It is considered a leader in the combat uniform market. Last year, it achieved a contract worth 20.9 billion KRW for the Army's summer combat uniform, the "Combat Shirt." The growth trend is also evident in numbers. The first-year sales were about 120 million KRW, but last year they increased to 6.8 billion KRW, and this year they are expected to reach 13 billion KRW. Jo said, "Considering the remaining orders and market conditions, achieving 25 billion KRW next year seems feasible."

This success is the result of the combination of skilled workers' expertise, design competitiveness, and strategies targeting new items. Although the process of making military uniforms may seem simple at first glance, it is meticulous due to repeated inspections. The work begins after the fabric is laid out naturally in the cutting room and left overnight to prevent deformation. The fabric is cut according to patterns, and each part is sewn at the optimal sewing machine for that section to make the garment. The garment is then moved to the finishing section, where threads and stains are removed, ironed, and packaged. Jo said, "Supplying to procurement items means everything is inspected. When fabric arrives, it is inspected; when finished products come out, they are inspected again. Even after delivery, inspections continue." This structure ensures product quality. Jo also emphasized that because these are military uniforms, they cannot be made carelessly. She explained, "We improve completeness through fitting tests and make clothes with excellent wearability."

An employee is sewing at the Camp Reborn factory.

Camp Ribbon's factory is quite different from the typical image of sewing factories. From the start, the goal was to create a "cafe-like factory" with a clean and hygienic environment and facilities for employees. Jo explained, "In the past, factory environments were often poor. I disliked sewing factories being located underground, and I paid a lot of attention to interior design to create a factory where employees feel attached and where their families can visit."

Based on its competitiveness in the domestic procurement market, Camp Ribbon is also exploring entry into the global market. The North American fashion market is among the targets under consideration. Jo emphasized, "In the fashion industry, where luxury brands are distinguished by small details, I want Camp Ribbon's clothes to be recognized as trustworthy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.