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Fabricato (Factory Visit)

Posted by tforcucci Jul 29, 2008

Paid a visit yesterday morning to Fabricato, the most well-known Textiles producer in Colombia and famous throughout the industry. We were offered an incredible tour of the facilities to see first-hand how raw cotton goes through the entire process to create fabric. Mr. Jorge Malabet was nice enough to give us a personal experience walking us through the various stages of the plant which is located in the valley of Bello. The production is cutting edge in all respects, from water treatment to cotton manipulation to raw denim production. We were impressed with Fabricato and they were interested in how MFG.com can be an excellent tool for the both on the Supplier side and as a Buyer for a huge amount of spare parts for the countless machines they have on hand. Here are some images:

IMG_5808.jpg IMG_5798.jpg IMG_5795.jpg IMG_5757.jpg IMG_5754.jpg IMG_5748.jpg IMG_5744.jpg IMG_5728.jpg



Sep 1, 2008 10:38 PM Click to view hoverchao's profile hoverchao

Hi Tony,
Thanks for your photos. My question is: what is the price differences of the yarns between Columbia and China mainland? I also visited some mid-scale fty in Guangdong provinces.

Sep 2, 2008 2:47 PM Click to view tforcucci's profile tforcucci in response to: hoverchao

Hello Hoverchao,

Generally speaking Colombia will cost more than China (although China prices have also risen in the recent past). Assuming that quality is equal in both countries, the question however of where to source your production would ultimately come down to 2 questions: What is your landed cost and What is your time frame. While Colombia might cost more for the product it might actually cost you less if your product is affected by various quotas or other fees. Similarly - getting production out of China can be excellent but you must allow for the time it takes (90-120 days) to ship by boat from China (or the expense if going air freight). Shipping from Colombia is perhaps 8-9 days. The decision to source let's say in Asia versus Latin America is a much bigger decision in scope that "what is the price of yarn". Price is a key factor, but it is but one. Try and look at the bigger picture. Hope that helps.

Tony