Our next factory is located in the outskirts of Shenzhen which transformed from a fishing village into a dynamic manufacturing center within 30 years. It was established as the first Special Economic Zone in 1979 to test out market capitalism and it has progressed by leaps and bounds. Skyscrapers dominate the skyline whether commercial or residential.
It is home to 12 million people. Hong Kong lies south of Shenzhen, separated by a river.
Thousands of factories and the complexity of the roads made it difficult for the driver to locate the factory at first but we finally found it after asking around for directions. We visited a factory that made handbags, specifically for the “Coach” label.
It was a Saturday and the factory closes at 12 noon so we did not have much time as we had arrived late. A slogan just inside the entrance on a building facing the factory exhorts the workers to keep improving.
This particular factory employs three thousand people.We saw different types and colors of leather as we entered the factory
and there was a gallery displaying the different designs as well as an award flanked by two designer bags.
We were given a tour of the factory that showed us the many processes involved in the making of a handbag.
Many of the processes are manual, such as fitting the pieces of leather together, attaching the handles, etc. No wonder the bags are so expensive as there is a lot of labor involved.
Do you know that when the leather comes to the factory it is first put into a machine that will remove the tension or tautness from it? Then it is also skived or flattened so that it is easier to work with, especially when it has been cut into various shapes and sizes.
We were told that about 20 designs are produced annually, sometimes more. It is also company policy that their workers are not allowed to use the “Coach” bags. Aside from the cost, I guess it must be to keep the brand exclusive.
On the dot of 12, a siren sounded and minutes later, we saw workers streaming out of the factory. The road was inundated with them and many stopped to purchase vegetables, meat and cooked food from the vendors that lined the road.
The shopping was also good as we could get cheap apparel from the wholesale vendors. One multistory building ( 8 floors ) sold only women’s apparel! Another building sold men’s wear. Aside from these wholesale markets, there are also the small individual shops as well as the usual stores in shopping malls.
On the whole, I found this short trip to be educational and enjoyable. I only wish it could have been extended by another two days.
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