Cincinnati’s Sew Valley is a zero-waste garment factory, sample room, and incubator that helps apparel brands and entrepreneurs develop and produce their designs locally. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit focuses on small-batch manufacturing while providing shared workspace, industrial equipment, education, and practical guidance for people building sewn-product businesses. Its sustainability work includes turning fabric scraps into fill and fiber boards, while its living-wage model and 513 Green certification reflect an effort to make apparel production more ethical and circular.
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
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513 Green Workplace
Hocking Hills Garment CenterHocking Hills Garment Center brings Betsy Franjola’s 25-year corporate fashion career back to Southeast Ohio, producing apparel in a repurposed 150-year-old Catholic church in Buchtel. The center combines skilled local makers with one-piece-flow manufacturing to create thoughtfully made garments while reducing waste. Rooted in a former coal-mining village, it is building a renewed model for American apparel production through training, jobs, and craft.BUCHTEL, OH
Found SurfaceIn Cleveland, Found Surface brings designers, engineers, operators, and technicians together around a more sustainable future for U.S. apparel manufacturing. The vertically integrated company develops and makes American-made soft goods for brands and makers, keeping its sampling and production work in-house while helping train Cleveland residents for garment-manufacturing careers.CLEVELAND, OH
Community Manufacturing SolutionsSince opening in Kingston in July 2017, Community Manufacturing Solutions has built a manufacturing business around local employment and community support. The company has grown from a small sewing operation into a facility with more than 50 specialized machines, while donating 10% of its profits to local nonprofit organizations. It makes sewn fabric products for customers in fields such as medical equipment and industrial safety.RIFTON, NY
The Factory BuffaloFounded in Buffalo in 2019 by apparel designer Molly Hoeltke Worth, The Factory Buffalo turns clothing and sewn-product concepts into production-ready goods through design, product development and manufacturing management. The woman-owned business offers in-house small-batch cut-and-sew production while coordinating specialized domestic and international partners for larger runs. Its made-in-the-USA approach places particular emphasis on fair labor, sustainability and helping new brands navigate the details of launching a product.BUFFALO, NY