Tiraspol, November 3. /Novosti Pridnestrovya/. This year the most famous in the world market Pridnestrovian Odema sewing enterprise celebrates its 75th anniversary. Today, the enterprise is a modernized production with highly qualified specialists. The factory employs 520 people. It cooperates with different countries and exports most of its products. The director of the Odema closed joint stock corporation (СJSC) named after V. Solovyova, Ilya Shoikhet has described how the production was launched and how it works now.
The history of the enterprise, at that time a sewing factory named after “40 let VLKSM”, began in November 1945. Back then, the future giant of light industry had neither a building nor equipment. They had nothing but boundless enthusiasm. The factory employed only 12 seamstresses. In a short time, four production buildings grew out of a small workshop, branch offices appeared in other cities of Moldova and Ukraine.
In the early years, the enterprise was undistinguished, it was an ordinary manufacture. But a real breakthrough occurred when Valentina Solovyova arrived. Then at the factory a system of rational cutting of cloth was introduced, thanks to which the enterprise was able to become the leader of the remainderless cut in the light industry.
In 1966, the company was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour. For 30 years, the factory has taken first places in the all-union socialist competitions. According to the results achieved within the framework of the 9th and 10th five-year plans, the enterprise has been awarded with ruby-coloured signs and entered on the all-union wall of honor of the USSR Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKh).
The industrial sewing association “40 let VLKSM” all over the Soviet Union was famous for its innovation, continuous improvement of production, the introduction of the most advanced technologies, the first in the country began to export its products.
In the period of 1980s, the enterprise worked closely with the All-Union Institute of the Garment Industry. The design department of the factory independently developed, manufactured and introduced various equipment into production.
“These were manipulators, which were completely outlandish in those years, and other types of equipment. I actually want to boast that the development of our design department for machines of the 370th class for processing various flaps and collars had transferred to the Podolsk Mechanical Plant, which began mass-producing of this equipment,” Ilya Shoikhet noted.
The collapse of the Soviet Union, the difficult period in the 1990s, the enterprise also experienced hard times. Ilya Shoikhet has discribed that during the Soviet times, when there was a planned economy, strong partnerships were established, the enterprise was mainly engaged in the production of men’s shirts. But when the collapse happened, I had to look for new customers.
“It wasn’t so easy, at first you had to prove yourself, to gain a name. But despite all the difficulties, we have achieved this. We have participated in various international events, have attended competitions, exhibitions, that’s why many people in the world know the Pridnestrovian sewing enterprise,” Ilya Shoikhet said.
Today, according to the director of the factory, Odema accepts various orders. Among them are jackets, waistcoats, trousers, jumpsuits, blouses, blouson tops and other products. The factory manufactures about 85% of its products for the foreign market. The company has been cooperating for many years with foreign customers from Italy, Austria, Slovakia, Russia, and is also a long standing partner of well-known European brands. Among them are Versace, Sortoni, Zeta and many others.
This year for the factory, as well as for everyone in the world, turned out to be quite difficult. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the schedule of work had to be completely restructured. The company has postponed some orders and started to manufacture personal protective equipment: uniforms and masks.
“Compared to last year, in 2020 we worked more for the domestic market due to the difficult epidemiological situation. But at the same time, we didn’t let our customers down, we just slightly shifted the terms of order execution,” the director of the factory Ilya Shoikhet explaines.
Despite all the difficulties, in the first half of 2020, Odema managed not only to avoid losses, but also to gain a small profit. The profit of the enterprise was about 600 thousand rubles.
Over the past two years, the leadership of the republic has provided a great support to light industry enterprises, in particular Odema. This allows us to increase the volume of production, increase the staff and the level of wages in the industry.
