Annette Cathcart, Fabric and Customs Coordinator

It's About Teamwork

It's About Teamwork

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I cannot do my job without my staff. I have a great staff. We all work as a team.

"And when something needs to get done, like when we get a shipment in with 400 rolls and we know it has to go into production next week, everybody pitches in to get the work done."

Testing Fabric

Testing Fabric

I supervise the fabric testing lab. We use standard testing methods to check for skew and shrinkage in all fabric before it's sent for manufacturing.

Skew is the twisting of poorly woven fabric that causes side seams to twist to the front or back after jeans are washed.

Fabric must also be tested to see how much it will shrink so that we can adjust the patterns. That way the finished garment will be the right size.

Clearing Customs

Clearing Customs

I handle the customs issues for both the importing of fabric and exporting of our finished products. This requires a great deal of paperwork and since there are always new rules and penalties to learn, there is a lot of updating of information.

It also involves dealing with both Canadian and US customs, since we deal with factories and offices south of the border as well.

Getting the Fabric

Getting the Fabric

Our merchandisers and designers choose the fabrics that they'd like to purchase.

My job is to create the purchase orders, make sure that the fabric comes in on time and arrange for the freight and transportation to Winnipeg or wherever in the world we're producing these goods.

Where I Work

Where I Work

Although we're called Western Glove Works, we don't actually make gloves anymore.

We're the largest jean manufacturer in Canada.

We have three divisions; our 'Silver Brand' which makes goods for Canada, the US, Japan and Europe, our private label division which makes garments for higher end clients like Blue Note ,American Eagle and Ralph Lauren.

Finding Solutions

Finding Solutions

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"One of the things that I've always said is that there's always more than one solution to a problem.

"When I see a problem arising I try to see how many different solutions and what are their consequences."

A Better Life

A Better Life

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I have a very small and close family. My mom and dad emigrated from Germany about 47 years ago. And one of the reasons they did that was they wanted to provide their children a better lifestyle.

"So my sister and I are very grateful that my mom and dad emigrated to Canada because we both have great careers."

Great Place To Live

Great Place To Live

I grew up here. My family is here and that's very important to me.

I really like Manitoba because of the great summers, the great beaches and the diverse ethnic backgrounds that we have.

I also love all the different restaurants. Winnipeg has some of the best restaurants. I've actually had people from New York, with its world-famous restaurants, come here and say, 'This is as good, or better, than the food in New York'.

Balancing Work and Home

Balancing Work and Home

I try to get as much done during the day as possible so that I can leave by 5 o'clock.

Once I leave here things will run through my mind for a bit but by the time I get home I can go home and enjoy my time off with my kids and do some cooking.

Can Handle Anything

Can Handle Anything

Anything that's sort of out of the ordinary, they'll throw my way.

For instance, someone will go to an auction to buy machinery or supplies and then they'll phone me up and say, 'Annette, I've bought a container of pumice stones in Italy, to use to wash the garments. How should I move it?' And so it's up to me to get it here from there.

That kind of challenge makes my job fulfilling because I get to see almost immediate results at times.

Organized Chaos

Organized Chaos

This department is always hectic but there's a sort of organized chaos to it. We always know what's going on. It's just that there are always dozens of things on the go at once.

Keeping up means that occasionally I don't take coffee breaks or I'll work through lunch. But with everyone pulling together, the work gets done and done effectively.

Scheduling System

Scheduling System

Our purchases and customer orders are put into a scheduling system. We print it off 2 or 3 times a week to review it to ensure that we have the correct purchase orders in place

This way we make certain that the fabric is in on time so the jeans can be finished according to the schedule.

We have to stay on top of the schedule to allow for unexpected problems such as a bad roll due to poor dye colour or too much shrinkage.

Midday Break

Midday Break

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I generally take about an hour lunch, somewhere between 12 and 1 o'clock. I try to get out of the building, just to give my head a shake so I can say okay, this is what I've done in the morning. This is what I need to get accomplished in the afternoon."

Getting the Answers

Getting the Answers

My primary way of communicating is by email. If I'm away for even a day, I'll have over a hundred emails to answer or just read for information. If I don't get a quick response to an email though, I'll pick up the phone to get the answer.

I still say, even in this day and age, email is great and faxing is great, but hearing somebody on the other end of the phone is what really gets your point across.

Personality Fit

Personality Fit

I am very driven and I'm ambitious.

With having so many responsibilities, I need to be diversified and flexible and so those traits hold me in good stead.

I'm also very optimistic, a 'my glass is half full than half empty' type of person. I try to get things done so that everybody is satisfied with the outcome.

Casual Environment

Casual Environment

It's a very casual environment here and I like that. People get along well and even the management are called by their first names.

It gives everyone a sense of ownership and belonging, to feel like they're part of the success of the company.

Working in a relaxed atmosphere also gives us time to ask each other how things are going and makes it quite a nice sort of family feel.

Bad Fabric

Bad Fabric

One of the worst things I have to do is deal with bad fabric. It always seems to be the fabric that's two weeks late in the first place, leaving us with impossible deadlines for production. Returning it and hoping that the replacement is good enough causes a great deal of frustration.

The one good part is that I get to hold onto their money until they send us what we ordered. But it's still my least favourite part of the job.

Love It or Hate It

Love It or Hate It

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"You either love this industry or you hate this industry. And sometimes you go through mild 'hate', depending on exactly what you're doing at the time. But for the most part it's constantly changing: things are changing, fashion is changing."

Lucky Break

Lucky Break

Getting into this aspect of the clothing industry was actually due to a bit of luck.

I was working in a showroom on a Thursday afternoon and my boss, who was going to a ready-to-wear show in Bangkok, said he needed someone to go with him to assist and take notes.

Everyone else was either tied up or on vacation, so he looked to me and said, 'Annette, what are you doing this weekend?' I told him I didn't have a passport but he said, 'Don't worry about it.'

So Friday, I had a passport and Saturday I was on a plane to Bangkok!

Changed Legislation

Changed Legislation

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"There's the CITT, which is the Canadian International Trade Tribunal. If somebody feels that there should be duties taken off of either a fabric or a commodity coming into Canada because Canadians don't make it anymore, they will actually go through a hearing process.

"I was actually quite lucky to work on one of those for Western Glove. My report went to Ottawa so now that is actually legislation and it's in the Canada Customs Rulings."

Changed My Plan

Changed My Plan

I got my degree in clothing and textiles but I took additional textile courses to learn more about fabric testing and about how different fibres work.

I also took marketing courses because, like everyone else, I wanted to be a buyer. Buyers travel all over the world, get paid lots of money and get to see the best fashions.

But when I finished my degree, I realized I really wanted to stay in Manitoba and there aren't many retail buyers based in Winnipeg.

Degree a Plus

Degree a Plus

It's a plus if you have education in fabrics so that you know how fabric will react. I have found my background in the technical side of fabrics has been a huge asset.

But there other ways of learning what you need to know, like going on mill tours and talking to fabric suppliers who are often very helpful.

What It Takes

What It Takes

To do this job you need to be driven, assertive, and able to manage many tasks at once and think really quickly on your feet.

It's important, too, to make the people you work with feel like a team, rather than like they're in a boss/employee relationship.

Broker License

Broker License

I'm looking into getting my customs brokers license. There are online courses I can take to learn all the ins and outs.

Textiles are one of the most difficult things to classify; there are so many variations from fabric and colour to style and detailing.

Learning more about this area would increase the efficiency of my work with the brokers and the customs agencies.

Interesting Job

Interesting Job

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"My job will stay constant for the next five years for sure. It's very interesting. It's crazy all the time and there's lots to learn about different things in the industry all the time so I'm very happy with my level right now."

Job Market Info

Job Market Info

The links below take you to federal and regional government information on employment, education, salary ranges and long range prospects for this career.

The official names for Annette's occupation are "Purchasing Manager", *NOC code 0113 and "Administrative/Customs Clerk", *NOC 1441.

Manitoba Job Futures - Administrative/Customs Clerk

Manitoba Labour Market Information
(Select Manitoba, the Area in Manitoba, NOC code 0113, then click Search)

Human Resources Development Canada - Purchasing Managers

Human Resources Development Canada - Administrative/Customs Clerk

*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupational Classification' code or 'NOC'.

Education

Education

Useful High School Subjects*

- English (Communication)
- Math
- Business
- Computer-related courses

*Source : Job Futures.ca (from NOC 0112)

 

Below are links to various programs and courses that will put you on the path to a career as a Fabric and or Customs Coordinator.

University of Manitoba
Faculty of Human Ecology
Asper School of Business

Red River College
Full Time Programs
(then click on 'Business Administration')

Tec Voc High School
Human Ecology

Murdoch MacKay Collegiate Institute
Human Ecology
(click on 'Courses' then 'Human Ecology')

In Ontario
The following colleges in Toronto Ontario provide training that is not yet available in Manitoba, but is recognized by Manitoba fashion companies.
The Ryerson School of Fashion
The George Brown Centre for Fashion Studies

Related Careers

Related Careers

Some related careers from the Human Resources Development Canada web site:

Retail and Wholesale Buyers (6233)

Purchasing Agents and Officers (1225)

Clothing Factory Manager (0911)

Supervisors, Textile Processing (9216)

Textile Inspectors, Graders and Samplers (9444)

Warehouse Managers (0721)

Professional Associations

Professional Associations

The Canadian Apparel Federation web site provides information on the garment industry, trade regulations, publications and educational programs.

The Apparel Human Resources Council provides opportunities for garment industry employers to connect with skilled professionals seeking employment. The site also offers work search assistance to students, graduates, and professionals wishing to pursue a career in the Apparel Industry.

The Canadian Society of Customs Brokers is a forum for those involved in transporting goods or services to and from Canada. They have an extensive database of information and resources, publications, educational programs and up to date Customs rates and regulations.