Ore. clothing company moves sewing back from China

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon apparel company cites inflation and quality control problems as two of the reasons it has moved its manufacturing out of China to rely on American workers.

Nine 1 One Gear of Portland will now use skilled workers in Salem to make its line of outerwear for firefighters and emergency responders.

In what company officials are calling a merger, Nine 1 One Gear is joining WaterShed Inc. The two brands will be manufactured at WaterShed's 25,000-square-foot Salem plant, the Statesman Journal reported.

Products made by the merger partners will be marketed by a newly formed group called WaterShed Apparel, which employs 50 people.

In addition to inflation and quality problems, manufacturing capacity at Chinese apparel plants is tight, and lead times for filling orders are growing longer, according to Peter Ettro, Nine 1 One president.

"If you're not a big-name brand, you're going to get pushed to the bottom of the list," Ettro told the newspaper. He launched his specialized clothing line in August 2008.

"We serve industries that truly appreciate — some even mandate —domestically produced products," he added in a statement. "It's a wonderful feeling to have all of our operations back in the USA."

The arrangement offers WaterShed a chance to reach new customers, said Justin Brown, WaterShed chief executive officer. In business for 27 years, it's well known in the Pacific Northwest in the public safety and industrial rain gear market.

"WaterShed had the manufacturing and back-office support," Brown said. "Nine 1 One has a strong brand awareness and a national distribution platform."

The company makes industrial-grade rain gear from materials such as Gore-Tex and nitrile-coated nylon. Some of its business is orders for U.S. special forces.

Many of WaterShed's production workers have been with the company for more than a decade.

The companies say brands under the WaterShed Apparel umbrella include Nine 1 One Gear — outerwear for police, fire and EMS professionals; WaterShed — rain gear for safety and industrial workers); and StormForce — tactical outerwear for SWAT teams and US military personnel.

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Information from: Statesman Journal, http://www.statesmanjournal.com