Industry Sectors in Manitoba: Diverse, Dynamic & Energetic

Apparel

Sector Structure

Size: Manitoba clothing manufacturing shipments in 2004 were an estimated $262 million. The industry employs an estimated 5,000 persons.

Dominant Activities:

Clothing Design
Cut & Sew Clothing Manufacturing

Structure & Concentration:

Manitoba’s industry is mature and concentrated in Winnipeg, which has historically been an important garment production centre in Canada.
The industry is led by a small number of large firms, with the majority of the 100 to 120 firms comprised of small to medium sized enterprises. Many are niche and boutique designer companies.
The leading firms are characterised by large, modern factories, primarily owned and managed by local entrepreneurial families, many of whom have been in the industry for two and three generations.
The industry is export oriented and currently exports to many areas of the world including the U.S., Japan, Mexico, and the U.K. Exports of clothing and textiles in 2004 totaled $108 million.
The principal industry association is the Manitoba Fashion Institute.

Highlights:

Major brand names manufactured in Manitoba include: L.L. Bean, Mobuis, Sun Ice, and OshKosh; Kelsey Trail and Tough Duck outerwear/workwear, The Gap, Denver Hayes, and Silver Jeans denim wear; women’s fashions including Ingenuity, Tan Jay, Alia and Bianca Nygård and Sterling/Klondike gloves.
Winnipeg’s Nygård International is Canada's premier women's wear manufacturer, and one of the five largest such manufacturers in North America. In addition to its manufacturing operations, Nygård International also owns and operates over 200 retail stores in Canada and the United States, and has more than 1,000 independent boutique customers, including locations in major Canadian and USA department stores. The Company owns design, production and distribution facilities in Los Angeles and research and design studios in New York, Montreal, Europe and Hong Kong, and a joint-venture manufacturing operation in Asia and Mexico.
Peerless Garments Ltd., located in Winnipeg since 1941, is one of Canada's largest domestic leather and cold weather outerwear manufacturers.

Sector Capabilities

Outerwear
Military garments & gear
Cresting & commercial embroidery
Activewear & knitwear
Gloves, hats & caps
Industrial & institutional apparel
Canvas sewn products
Leather & fur fashions
Casual wear & denim products

Competitive Strengths

State of the art production technology -- The major strengths of the Manitoba industry are its flexible capabilities and its ability to produce high-quality, high value-added products for specific niche markets. Most factories have adopted the latest equipment, technology and engineering systems. Several factories in Manitoba are considered the most technologically advanced on the continent.
Workforce training -- Industry associations, together with other educational institutions and universities offer instructional courses in pattern making, production, sewing, cutting, computerised pattern grading and marker making.
Good labour-management relations -- Approximately 60% of Manitoba’s garment industry is unionised. Labour-management relations within the industry have been excellent. Within the garment industry specifically, there have been virtually no work stoppages.

Trends

The industry is likely to undergo significant changes over the next decade due to the anticipated worldwide elimination of quotas generally and the specific elimination of tariffs for Least Developed Countries. The Canadian industry expects that this will result in increased global cost-based competition, and forward-looking firms are looking to new investments in technology and establishment of offshore subsidiaries to position themselves to respond.

To position themselves to compete in this globally competitive market, larger Manitoba manufacturers have blended low cost, long-lead, high volume global production with strong local production facilities that provide high quality goods and quick turnaround capabilities. Additionally, Manitoba companies continually undertake new product development.

Key Players

Contact

C.T.T. General Info: (204) 945-2475
Fax: (204) 957-1793

Manitoba Fashion Institute
Tel: (204) 942-7314
Fax: (204) 943-2228
E-mail: info@apparel-manitoba.org
Web: www.apparel-manitoba.org

Competitiveness, Training and Trade