En su tercera edición, los CBI Regional Development Awards® celebrados como parte del programa del Apparel Sourcing Show, se reconocieron los esfuerzos que la industria de vestuario y textiles realiza dentro del marco de la Responsabilidad Social Empresarial.Cada una de las empresas galardonadas ofrece a su recurso más importante, el humano, beneficios adicionales a los establecidos por la ley así como apoyo a las comunidades en las que se ubican.Es una forma más de contribuir sustancialmente al desarrollo económico y social de la región elevando el nivel de vida de los trabajadores del sector.

Cada una de las asociaciones de la Industria de vestuario y textiles de Centro América y República Dominicana nominó a las siguientes empresas de su país en las cuatro categorías participantes: Fábrica de confección, textilera, proveedora de servicios y accesorios y clientes.


COMPANY NAME: CONFECCIONES BOR KAR (Costa Rica)
CONTACT: Michael Borg
E-MAIL: mborg@borkarsa.com
YEARS ESTABLISHED:12
PROGRAMS: Full package
MAIN PRODUCT: formal wear
MAIN CUSTOMER: N/A
EMPLOYEES: 700
CAPACITY: 10.000 suits per week
IN-HOUSE OPERATIONS: From design to door-to-door delivery
REMARKS: Borkar has community support programs, provides materials to public schools, has a high school maturity program, the employees receive courses to get high school diploma, inside the company, once their shift is finished.Has also a solidarity association in which the employee gives a 5% of the salary and the company gives another 5%, these resources are used and managed by the employees and they give out housing loans, study loans and negotiate the purchase of school articles and basic needs, at better prices.

COMPANY: ANTILLES MANUFACTURING (Dominican Republic)
CONTACT: Ricardo Fondeur
E-MAIL: antilles@verizon.net.do
YEARS ESTABLISHED: 11
PROGRAMS: Full Package, CMT
MAIN PRODUCT: Dressing and casual trousers Women /Men
MAIN CUSTOMER: Tommy Hilfigher, Phillip Van Husen, Perry Ellis
EMPLOYEES: 950
CAPACITY: 80,000 units per month.
IN-HOUSE OPERATIONS: Laundry, oven, packaging, laboratory
REMARKS: They have handicapped employees, andcare for the environment

COMPANY: UNION TEXTIL (Dominican Republic)
CONTACT: Pedro Manuel García
E-MAIL: pedro.garcia@ut.com.do
YEARS ESTABLISHED: 17
PROGRAMS: Full Package, 807, CMT
MAIN PRODUCT: Underwear, baby wear, children’s wear, sleepwearand sports wear.
MAIN CUSTOMER:N/A
EMPLOYEES: 2,100
CAPACITY: 100,000 dozens per weekIN-HOUSE OPERATION: Warehousing, Screen-printing, Embroidery, Cutting and Sewing

REMARKS: The company is located in a poor area of the country, all together the free zone Esperanza gives employment to 4,500 persons and has social plans as a Sports Community, day-care centers and health centers.

COMPANY NAME:  THE ARGUS GROUP (El Salvador)
CONTACT:  Alfonso Hernandez
E-MAIL:  ahernandez@theargusgroup.us
YEARS ESTABLISHED:  14
PROGRAMS:  Full-package; CMT; Contract cutting 
MAIN PRODUCT:  Blue jeans
MAIN CUSTOMER:  Sara Lee
EMPLOYEES:  6,000
CAPACITY:  2,800,000 garments per week
IN-HOUSE OPERATIONS:  Product development; Fabric testing; Raw material sourcing; Cutting; Sewing; Logistics
REMARKS:Competitive incentive programs, health care centers, day-care centers, private schools, executive reading circles, responsibilities and family relations seminars, sports programs, savings and loans associations, coffee shops, supermarket, easy entrance roads.

COMPANY: ALIANZA FASHION (Guatemala)
CONTACT:  So Ho Kim
E-MAIL:sohokim@alianzafashion.com
YEARS ESTABLISHED: 4 years
PROGRAMS:Full Package
MAIN PRODUCT: Women’s wear
MAIN CUSTOMER: Aldem International, Kellwood Company Factory, American Apparel, JC Penney, American, Target, Dorby Frocks.
EMPLOYEES: 1,222
CAPACITY: 14,000 units daily
IN-HOUSE OPERATIONS: Cutting, packaging, pressing
REMARKS: Health Clinic services, employees training courses, transportation, employee loans and sport events.

COMPANY NAME: KARIM’S GROUP (Honduras)
CONTACT: Ashraf Amdani
E-MAIL: ashraf@karims.com
YEARS ESTABLISHED: 25
PROGRAMS: 807, and full package
MAIN PRODUCT: Knit shirts, tops, woven pants, woven shirts and health care products
MAIN CUSTOMER: Cintas, Rawlings, G&K Uniform, Fruit of the Loom, Delta Apparel.
EMPLOYEES: Total in Central America 1,700
CAPACITY: Total capacity over 46,000 dozens per week with mix of products including Mexico
IN-HOUSE OPERATIONS: Two large facilities in Honduras, and one in Guatemala and a spinning facility.Beside apparel manufacturing Karim’s is also the largest yarn distributor in region with exclusive distribution of Karim’s own brand yarn from its spinning plants in Pakistan as well as USA spinningcompanies such as Welstone Mills,National Textile and Lanexxes, etc , current volume over 100 million lbs per year between all Central America specially Guatemala and Honduras.
REMARKS: Schoolarships, construction, maintenance of day-care centers, various donations to different institutions from the industry, and also helps government institutions such as police stations, paramedics and firefighters, training programs, housing programs and several other activities that look out for the well being of the employees. 

COMPANY NAME: ISTMO TEXTIL (Nicaragua)
CONTACT: Chul Ho Kim / Estela Cho Bo
E-MAIL: estelacho@ssts.co.kr 
YEARS ESTABLISHED: Since 1968 in Korea, and since 1994 in Managua, expanded in 2004 and 2005
PROGRAMS: Full package, including wash, printing and embroidery
MAIN PRODUCT: Knitwear - poloshirt, knit top, knit bottom
MAIN CUSTOMER:  JC Penney, Target, Mervyn’s, WalMart, Sears
EMPLOYEES: 2,000 actually, as soon as new plant is running will expand to 30 more lines
CAPACITY: 125,000 dozens not considering expansion
IN-HOUSE OPERATIONS: Cutting, sewing, pressing, wash, printing, embroidery
REMARKS: Quality assurance: fabric audition, cutting inspection, sewing floor in-line inspectors, 100% end line inspection, no garment pressed without sketch, inspection after press, final and internal audits up to 50%. “Wherever there’re benefits and results - you’ll find Istmo Textil SA”


COMPANY NAME:   FÁBRICA INTERNACIONAL DE ENCAJES S.A. (Costa Rica)
CONTACT: Miguel Castillo Leal
E-MAIL: mcastillo@encajes.com
YEARS ESTABLISHED: 5
PRODUCTS: Lace
CAPACITY: 18,000 Kilos mensuales 
SPINNING: NO
FABRIC PRODUCTION: N/A
FINISHING: NO
PRINTING: NO
MARKETS: USA, Mexico
CERTIFIED BY: N/A
EMPLOYEES: 35
REMARKS: N/A

COMPANY NAME:  HILOSA TEXTILE MILLS (El Salvador)
CONTACT: Jorge A. Safie
E-MAIL: jorge@hilosa.com.sv
YEARS ESTABLISHED: 34
PRODUCTS: Cotton yarns and blends, woven and knit fabrics
CAPACITY: 900,000 pounds per month
SPINNING: YES
FABRIC PRODUCTION:Wovens, Jersey, Pique,  Interlock, Prints.
FINISHING: Dying
PRINTING: NO
MARKETS: Central America and US
EMPLOYEES: 400
REMARKS: It is the only company in El Salvador that helps the handicapped persons by giving them employment.

COMPANY:LIZTEX (Guatemala)
CONTACT: Roberto González
E-MAIL: textil@liztex.com
YEARS ESTABLISHED:47 years
PRODUCTS: Knits, wovens
CAPACITY: N/A
SPINNING: YES
FABRIC PRODUCTION: Flannels, Prints, Knits, Jacquard, Twill, Indigo, Terry, etc.
FINISHING: YES
PRINTING: YES
MARKETS: USA, Mexico, Canada, Central America
CERTIFIED BY: N/A
EMPLOYEES: 1,500
REMARKS:More than 800 homes built for housing benefits, with a school, sport center, Amusement Water Park available for employees and their children.Also has Health Clinic, Ophthalmologist and Dental Clinic.“Our most important grand material is our Human Elements”

COMPANY:GRUPO FORMOSA (Honduras)
CONTACT: Fernando Yang
E-MAIL: fernando@yangtex.com.hnn
YEARS ESTABLISHED:6 years
PRODUCTS:Knit fabrics
CAPACITY: 450,00 kilos monthly
SPINNING: YES
FABRIC PRODUCTION: 100% cotton, 50% cotton /50% polyester
FINISHING: Enzymes, Brushing and Stain Resistant
PRINTING: YES
MARKETS: USA, France
CERTIFIED BY: N/A
EMPLOYEES: 1,800 approx.
REMARKS: N/A