Creative Apparel calls workers back at Eastport facility

Because of recent contract awards and expected awards, Creative Apparel will be bringing back laid-off stitching personnel at all of its plants in Maine, including the company's Eastport facility. Approximately 15 laid-off sewers are expected to return to work at the Eastport plant on Monday, March 12. At the end of October, approximately 30 full-time and part-time sewers at facility had been told that a temporary layoff that began in July probably would be permanent.

Eastport City Manager George "Bud" Finch states that the work being brought back into the Eastport facility is "a result of the city's positive and aggressive economic development partnership with small businesses such as Creative Apparel. Every job we can create is important to us, and particularly to the person that has it, and the city will continue in its economic efforts to create and sustain jobs."

He added, "We all thankful to Senator Susan Collins for playing a key role in helping to secure these contracts and getting our people back to work. She has worked hard on our behalf and deserves a lot of credit for the work she has done."

George Rybarczyk, co-owner of J&P Apparel Inc., which owns Creative Apparel with the Passamaquoddy Tribe, comments, "We were able to qualify for these additional contracts due to the broad experience base of our production people at our plants. These garments are very technical and labor intensive, which limits the industrial base that can produce them." He adds, "These additional contracts offer us some breathing room to continue to bring in additional products and diversify our product mix. We are constantly working on new programs and expect more new products in the near future."

The contracts are being awarded to Source For Native American Products (SNAP) LLC. SNAP is an 8(a) certified firm that is Creative Apparel's sister company and is owned by the Passamaquoddy Tribe's Indian Township Reservation and J&P Apparel of Belmont. The sewing work for the contracts will be performed by Creative Apparel.

The contracts are being issued from Natick Clothing and Textiles Research Facility's contracts division. They are for the Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology (JSLIST) Chemical Protective Overgarment, Improved Army Combat Uniform Coat and Trouser, and the Improved Combat Vehicle Crewman Coverall. Additional contracts are for the Army Combat Uniform and Combat Vehicle Crewman Coverall, which are fire resistant garments and have been issued to fill an urgent need in Iraq because of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The contracts are for approximately 70,000 garments and are valued at $9 million.

A contract is expected shortly from Defense Supply Center Philadelphia for additional quantities of the JSLIST overgarment. In addition, the company has just started production on the Joint Protective Aircrew Ensemble (JPACE) coverall. This contract will be in production until 2012 and possibly beyond.

Along with the Eastport facility, Creative Apparel has plants in Indian Township, Belmont, Harmony, Dover-Foxcroft and Fort Kent. While some locations will still have people laid off, other facilities will be hiring additional personnel.