Workforce getting boost at Thorngate

DRESSED FOR SUCCESS

By Scott Moyers ~ Southeast Missourian

A renewed interest in more professional business attire has prompted Thorngate Ltd. to announce plans to increase its production of suits and sports coats by 60 percent -- a boost that will require the Cape Girardeau manufacturer to increase its workforce by about 50 new jobs.

The plant at 321 N. Main produces a line of tailored men's clothing for the national Hart, Schaffner & Marx clothes divisionand employs about 500 people. On Thursday, Ken Hoffman, chairman and CEO of Hart, Schaffner & Marx, visited the plant and ask that it increase its production.

"I know it sounds strange during these tough economic times," Hoffman said, "but the trend in suits is booming right now. If they could give us 8,000 units today, we could take them."

Plant manager Ron Dirnberger said he is looking for about 50 or so employees to help push production of 5,000 suits and sports coats a week to about 8,000 a week. They are already working employees overtime to help meet the demand.

"We're hoping to meet this goal as soon as we can," Dirnberger said. "It all depends on how quickly we can get some new people in here."

It could be just the beginning. Dirnberger said that this may just be the first phase.

"If the increase in demand keeps climbing, we intend to hire more," he said. "We want to get these 50 in place and keep going."

In an era of dress-down Fridays and a move to more casual dress in the office place, Hoffman said that there are several factors driving the resurgent interest in business suits.

"The people who started the dot-coms did so in T-shirts and jeans," he said. "But those people are out of work. They're looking for jobs now and they are coming to us in droves."

He said that bankers who dealt with the Internet companies approached their clients in casual wear, too, but now that the industry is flailing, they want to return to their suit-and-tie image.

Plus, with the economic downturn, people are out of work and fighting for sparse jobs. With employers, the appearance of an employee candidate is often key, he said. Not to mention that businesses are fighting for customers as well.

"In these times, everyone's looking for every edge possible," he said.

Thorngate has been in operation in Cape Girardeau for nearly 30 years. It is owned by the Hartmarx Corp., which operates in the United States through subsidiaries, including Thorngate.

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137