Seattle woman tries to save denim factory

There are about 2,800 miles between Seattle, Washington and a denim plant in Liberty, South Carolina. The two cities are connected by a Seattle woman who’s on a mission to save American manufacturers and Made in the USA clothing.

I first talked with Liz Havlin five months ago when she learned how challenging it can be to create a product in the USA. Since then Havlin, executive director of a non-profit called WearUSA, held a fashion show of clothing manufactured in the Northwest at the Space Needle.

Now she’s set up shop in South Carolina to try to reopen Liberty Denim.

The denim plant was once the economic heart of Liberty, she says, employing nearly 200 people. There were two textile companies in the small South Carolina town at one point.

Liberty Denim, built in the early 1900s, closed in December and the company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year.

Havlin doesn’t seem daunted by the defunct plant.

“Our goal is to save the mill,” says Havlin. “I’ve been in SC by myself plugging away and really need a shout out from Seattle to keep me from feeling like I’m not crazy trying to save one of the last denim factories in the U.S.A.”

Her group created a Facebook page for support. People can “adopt a brick” for $25 to fund the effort. The money goes toward the group’s efforts to buy back the mill in bankruptcy court. They’re trying to raise $150,000.

“If we could just fix what’s been wronged and save this factory, I really feel like it could be a big win for the people,” Havlin says.

Ultimately she’d like to have former employees own the plant. Workers would have a “huge say” in day-to-day operation of the mill.

Everyone, from the person who sweeps the floor of the plant to the CEO, would share responsibilities and decision making.

But is that idea practical?

It’s worked before, she says. Havlin points to the success SynTerra has had. That’s an environmental firm in Greenville. There are 40 employees and half of them own 100 percent of the company, which consistently shows up on “best places to work” lists in South Carolina.

Havlin and her supporters will head to bankruptcy court May 29th. They plan to fight liquidators who want to buy the mill and sell the assets of the building.

By LINDA THOMAS