Going concern

Gary Steiman, FCA,
Co-founder and CEO,
Gemini Fashions of Canada

Company profile: Founded in 1971, Gemini Fashions designs and produces clothing for outdoor activities. Its products are marketed and distributed under a variety of brand names, including Northern Sun and OshKosh B’Gosh. The company employs about 150 staff at its headquarters in Winnipeg and more than 2,000 staff at its production facility in Bangalore, India. Gemini produces more than 1.25 million garments and $50 million in revenue annually.

Hot factor: Gemini has carved out a unique market niche over the past 30 years. Investments in offshore sites, logistics and technology allow the company to produce specialized outerwear that caters to a wide variety of climatic conditions, lifestyle activities and cultural preferences in North America and Europe. Gary Steiman won the 2004 Excellence Award from the Manitoba division of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, and Gemini won the 2002 International Partner of the Year award from OshKosh B’Gosh.

Cool projects: Shortening turn- around time is the holy grail in the fashion business, where seasons are short but production lead time is long. To this end, Gemini is setting up a live interactive teleconferencing facility to allow instant communication between the design, quality control and production management staff in Winnipeg and its Bangalore production site and subcontractor in China.

In his own words: “Our business is exciting — fashion is change. Not just in changing global trade patterns, but the challenge of coming up with new ideas. There’s never a dull moment. Time flies by — our people come in earlier, leave later, and they don’t know what happened to the day.” 
                 
Rosie Lombardi