Since taking over a California shoe factory, Jaclyn Jones has taken major steps to modernize manufacturing.
“I could see so many inefficiencies and I could see all the waste,” she told FN. “So what I was excited about was being able to put my hands in the process and change the sustainability efforts and the employees’ health and safety principles.”
The founder of her namesake Jaclyn Jones USA label bought the shoe factory in October 2018 from its former owners and has since worked overtime to improve conditions for the existing 22-person team. For instance, Jones put in $50,000 worth of dust collection machines, planted indoor trees to boost morale and switched from solvent-based glue to water-based glue. And in keeping with an eco-friendly mindset, the factory also repurposes waste or works with local artisans to reuse any left-over materials.
In addition, knowing firsthand how difficult it is to find made-in-America factories as a small designer, Jones has upped the companies’ online presence and has become more visible for potential partners.