Massive job losses at Fruit of the Loom plants have caused concern in Donegal's clothing and textile industry. However, this is not the full story, according to a new marketing and publicity campaign starting next week.
There are, in fact, labour shortages in the sector and while the nature of the work is changing, many locally owned firms are thriving. Even with so many lay-offs over recent years about 3,000 people are still employed in clothing and textiles in the county.
The companies doing best cater for the upper end of the market. "Outsourcing" to cheaper countries such as Lithuania and Morocco is a fact of life.
The "Take a Closer Look" campaign to promote Donegal's clothing and textile industry is being co-ordinated by Enterprise Ireland, the County Enterprise Board and Udaras na Gaeltachta. It describes the county as "a hub" for the industry in Ireland and includes a new logo for the clothes. Training workshops are to be provided and school visits to factories will aim to make the industry more appealing to prospective employees.
Patrice Gallagher, managing director of Hamel Clothing Ltd in Letterkenny, epitomises the message behind the campaign. In December 1998 Ms Gallagher was made redundant with the closure of clothing firm Gaeltex but she now employs 28 people and her company is moving to a new purpose-built factory in four weeks.
She won the Young Businesswoman of the Year award in 1999 and her range of upmarket children's wear won best newcomer award at a show in London the same year.
The new factory will include a subsidised creche to encourage women who have had babies to continue working and to attract others back. Ms Gallagher is a mother of three young children.
Hamel's success can be attributed to its niche market. It has developed a brand of Irish linen children's wear including a "little white dress" collection.
About 80 per cent of this range goes to the US and is sold in top stores. It is stocked by specialist shops in Ireland and a website and catalogue are also used to market the clothes. "We haven't even got around to trying European markets yet," she said.
Flexibility was also important, particularly in the early days. At one stage she seized the opportunity to make sailors' hats as part of the merchandising that accompanied the movie Titanic.
Enterprise Ireland's Meabh Conaghan says other locally owned companies are also doing very well. Clubman Omega is an outstanding success. Based in Buncrana, it employs 190 people making topquality shirts.
Fruit of the Loom is still one of the biggest employers with a staff of 600, also in Buncrana. Unifi in Letterkenny, which produces yarn, employs about 800 people and Magee has a staff of 210 in Donegal. In addition to these larger plants there are more than 40 small companies making everything from expensive silk ties to woolly hats. Staff numbers range from two or three to 50plus.
Ms Conaghan believes existing jobs can be consolidated. For low-value, high-volume products "outsourcing" to cheap countries such as Lithuania and Morocco will have to happen, however. Meanwhile high-quality, niche products can be made at home with the emphasis on design and brand.
The campaign is the result of a report commissioned by the Donegal County Enterprise Board, "The Way Forward". Ms Siobhan Grant, for the board, says they are trying to follow the example of Jutland in Denmark, an area that had traditionally relied heavily on clothing. Ten years ago employment had dropped dramatically but is now 90 per cent of what it was.
The campaign aims to make the industry more appealing to school-leavers. Ms Grant says clothing firms in the county now have about 100 vacancies they cannot fill.
Pay and conditions have improved. SIPTU branch secretary Sean Reilly says wages have increased by about 25 per cent in the past year.
He acknowledges, however, the scale of job losses. More have been announced in recent weeks, in the non-unionised Nena Models in Stranorlar, once one of the area's biggest employers.