Keeping the human element in business

Jim Antosh, Round House

At Round House Jeans’ factory here in Shawnee, Oklahoma we often have people ask “You do this by hand? Where are all the machines?”

Today most of the products a person buys every day (like toothpaste, pencils, books, etc.) are made in highly automated manufacturing plants where actually touching the product is a no-no. Touching the product leads to variability and errors.

So the goal for most factories is to remove the human element as much as possible. For 112 years Round House Jeans has been doing the complete opposite.

Over forty different people will each use their hands to push, pull, fold, stretch, and press on every bib overall or jean that we make.

Jeans and overalls just can’t be made otherwise.

There are no machines invented for removing the human hands from the sewing process for jeans and overalls.

Denim has a stretch to it and there’s no machine that can do what a person’s hands can to sew this fabric.

Does this mean each pair has a human touch to it? Yes, crafted with pride and care.

But does this also lead to more variability and errors? Of course.

Does this make sewing jeans and overalls a difficult job to learn? Definitely.

Sewing jeans and bib overalls usually takes months to learn and years to become proficient. Many employees here at our Shawnee, Oklahoma factory have dedicated thirty or forty years of their lives to this skilled craft.

So when you put on your Round House jeans think of all of the people that have handcrafted this pair just for you.

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