Walmart executives joined Classic Fashion managers and elected officials at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Classic Fashion’s first U.S.-based production facility.
For the next five years, the new Santa Ana, Calif., site will cut and sew apparel exclusively for Walmart, reinforcing the commitment of both companies to Made In USA. With this facility, Jordan-based Classic Fashion will create 125 new jobs by the end of next year, and an additional 225 by 2027, reaching 350 U.S. American jobs over five years.
A supplier to Adidas, JCPenney, Tommy Hilfiger and American Eagle, Classic Fashion entered phase one of its strategy to support U.S. manufacturing by establishing the production facility, The Cut & Sew Co., Inc. in Santa Ana. The second phase requires the company to identify countries close to the U.S. to source materials for the facility, while phase three sees the firm growing vertically to source materials directly from the U.S.
“Classic Fashion is proud to be a supplier to Walmart as we build our manufacturing presence in the United States,” said Sanal Kumar, chairman and managing director of Classic Fashion. “I’m proud to highlight our incredible U.S.-based manufacturing staff and the local community here in Santa Ana as we continue to build on Classic Fashion’s 20-year history of success.”
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Walmart’s collaboration with Classic Fashion is the latest example of the company’s long-standing commitment to support American manufacturing that dates back to the company’s founder, Sam Walton. Nearly two-thirds of Walmart’s annual product spend is on products that are made, grown or assembled in the U.S., and in 2021 the company announced a new $350 billion investment to reinforce that goal. In addition to partnering with companies like Classic Fashion to expand its U.S. manufacturing presence, Walmart also supports American entrepreneurs through its annual Open Call event.
“Walmart is proud to work with Classic Fashion, which will soon be manufacturing its excellent products here in the U.S.,” said Jason Fremstad, senior vice president for supplier development and sourcing at Walmart. “Investing in local manufacturing creates American jobs, helps small businesses expand and benefits communities like Santa Ana. We’re excited to feature Classic Fashion’s American-manufactured apparel exclusively in our stores.”
Established in 2003, Classic Fashion Apparel Industry is one of the largest garment manufacturers in the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region, with more than 30,000 employees, 16,000 machines and has in-house daily production capacity of 500,000 to 550,000 garments in 200 different styles. The company had fiscal year 2021 revenue of $802 million.