Interview with John Elmuccio

Construction is already under way at the 32,000-sq-ft facility and the first machines are expected to be installed by the end of August, with production planned to begin later this year. Our objective is to revitalise the knit manufacturing business in the United States, building an industry and creating good-paying, sustainable manufacturing jobs. We anticipate generating between 50 and 60 jobs within the first three years of operation, with additional jobs being created as the company expands. 

Evolution St. Louis is collaborating with Stoll, the world's leading German flat-knitting machine manufacturer. Stoll will install 300 knitting machines over the next three years and will provide us with the technology, software solutions and training to help this vision become reality, from design and pattern creation to production.

In an increasingly competitive fashion market, this is exactly the kind of manufacturing facility that brands and retailers will require to meet the needs of the dynamic shifts in consumer buying patterns. With a shorter supply chain, brands and retailers can pivot to new trends and react to customer demands.  

Global market conditions, such as industrial restructuring and higher labour costs, have created an unprecedented opportunity to bring garment production back to the United States. Utilising the latest in technological advances, brands and designers will be able to take advantage of design capabilities they may not have been able to consider in the past. The opportunities for us are unlimited. 

We will work with major brands, boutique designers and emerging, direct-to-consumer fashion entrepreneurs to help them move some of their production back to the United States, and work with emerging brands and designers that often have difficulty sourcing overseas because they don't have the ability to scale. This facility will revitalise the knit sector, strengthen 'Made in USA' fashion and create good paying and sustainable manufacturing jobs. We want to build the supply chain of the future. (HO)