Transparency as a connector
Mr. Xin Lufeng is the founder and the second-largest shareholder of Ningbo Z&H Foreign Trade Co., Ltd. For State of Art, Ningbo Z&H has given insight into the supply chains for over 20.000 pieces in tex.tracer in the last year.
Can you tell us more about Ningbo Z&H Foreign Trade Co., Ltd?
Ningbo Z&H is an integrated enterprise with a complete production line from garment development, and manufacture, to marketing. It is located in Ningbo, China, and was established in 1999.
At Ningbo Z&H we are very client-oriented, with our factory-based integrated supply chain management system. We serve clients from mostly Europe and North America, and our main product is circle knit garments. The company has one self-owned factory, one stock-holding factory, and 10 other supporting factories. Our team is made of successful and skilled industry people with senior backgrounds and years of proven experience in the market.
How does Ningbo Z&H try to create a better fashion industry, both on social as on environmental levels?
We have a growing involvement in sustainability. We want to make sure that fashion can be enjoyed by future generations. So we believe it is important to provide sustainable sourcing for the fashion industry. Our own factories’ capabilities and our solid relationships with partner manufacturers and quality suppliers, ensure that we maintain high production standards through our team of on-site inspection agents and international trade specialists.
On the social side, our manufacturers in the whole line are BSCI-certified. Not only our knitting factory but also our printing and washing factory.
On the environmental part, we continue to search for the most sustainable way to produce. To save energy, we use photovoltaic power generation. In the meantime, we recycle water and all discharged water is tested to meet national sewage standards.
We are GOTS-certified and are now preparing for the OCS certification (Organic Content Standard). Around the end of April, we can get the OCS scope certificate for the whole line. This standard can be used to verify the organic content of the final product. It can be used to trace ingredients from sourcing to the final product. This standard will be transparent and consistent in the process of fully independent assessment of the organic contents of production.
We believe in a circular economy, to create a truly sustainable fashion industry that is good for people and the planet, we need to take our work to the next level.
Brands and retailers are asked to be transparent and thus ask you for more details. How do you feel about sharing your supply chain details with customers?
We think a transparent supply chain is important and useful for both suppliers and our customers. Transparency connects all parts in the supply chain: customers, suppliers and manufacturers. A transparent supply chain can not only reduce the cost but also make sure enterprise resources are used efficiently and reduce the length of the supply chain. A more effective connection between production and sales can be achieved. We think it is another sustainable way of working with each other.
What is the added value of tex.tracer to you?
Tex Tracer gives us the opportunity to bring our company to the public eye. We want to engage with both our customers and society and give them insight into the product’s journey.
