SanMar in Hong Kong

In 2008, SanMar was looking for a way to better support our business across Asia. The Hong Kong office was founded with the simple goal of having a more direct relationship with suppliers, helping us overcome barriers of language, culture and different time zones. There were three people, no suppliers and no real procurement processes established.

As our presence in Hong Kong grew, we learned that product development was often happening right in the factories where textiles were being manufactured. For example, the fabric for what we know today as the Port Authority Silk Touch Polo was originally discovered in a Hong Kong factory, being made for the Japanese apparel market.

Today our Hong Kong location employs 42 people in the office itself, plus 32 full-time quality controllers stationed in the countries where we source production. Merchandise teams in the office touch on many different facets of garment production, including social compliance, logistics, finance, human resources and the technical aspects of fabric and color technology.

With 26 suppliers making more than 900 different styles in 41 factories across Asia and Africa, SanMar’s office in Hong Kong has been instrumental in developing the garment sourcing processes and systems we use today. They’ll play a big role in SanMar’s future as they continue to ensure we develop exceptional products, maintain consistent quality and partner closely with some of our most strategic suppliers in the region.