History of the company

GALYA SARGSYAN - The founder with verve and courage 

Galya Sargsyan was born in 1952 in armenian Vanadzoru at that time she even couldn't have known that one day she will be a successful businesswoman in the branch of underwear and swimsuit manufacturing in the Czech republic. At a young age she established a base while working in fur manufacturing plant. Her talent was immediately uncovered. She gained the prize employee of the year in 1975.

She married to Jerevan as a young lady, the capital of Armenia. She changed her job from that reason and furs are changed for fine tiny laces. She was working as a dressmaker for 2 years, devoting to the sewing of ladies dresses. After the birth of the first son she decided to dedicate her life to family care only. She made family fashion on her own- handmade or knitted clothes. Her other two sons are on the way. Mrs Galya enjoys the beauty of family life.

In 1994 everything seemed to be changed. The family had to face very unfavourable situation due to war condition in Armenia caused by the conflict about area of Nagorno Karabakh. The situation evokes the feeling of fear, economic and existencial imbalance. Those facts were the obvious reason for the Sargsyan family to emigrate to more stable and safer country. The Czech republic became the asylum for them.

Family was finally safe but emigration brought new difficulties. Although Mrs Galya Sargsyan immediately got a job she had to face some obstacles. The whole family had to overcome the language and culture barrier, familiarize themselves with czech legislation and habits. She gradually gained trust among czech people. „ I was really lucky because I have met nice and willing people..“ remembers Mrs Galya Sargsyan about her life in the Czech republic.  „ Without them, nothing I have built up or managed would even be possible to come into existence.“ I am proud of my family which has always been my biggest support. Without them I couldn't achieve functional family background.“

HISTORY

Company A.G.J.- produktion, ltd. dates back to 1995, when married couple Sargsyans established their cooperation with their first few employees in the textile manufacturing companies Alfatex (leading czech manufacturer of knitted ready-to-wear  clothing) and Kras-Haka Brno ( a meaningful czech manufacturer of the czech menswear).

An important milestone took place in 1997, they opened their own small dressmaking workshop in Otín by Měřín. The beginnings were not easy at all. They needed to face hardship and difficult times. They devoted to permanent looking for work and the participated in numerous business meetings. The company overcame this period mainly due to their enthusiasm, will and determination.

Their intensive effort brought its fruits. After all that hardship came a meaningful turning point- cooperation with leading and famous Modeta Style (leading czech manufacturer of the swimwear).

The beginnings of this cooperation were difficult and relatively complicated. It was necessary to invest a lot into machinery and employees. Mrs Galya had to train up her staff in the craftmaking to master their skills „ So they sewed and undid.“, she remembers smiling. They sewed just a few pieces of swimwear in the whole week. Such results would lead to bancruptcy in any other company. But Modeta Style could still see potential in the company and bet on mutual sympathy due to which they offered Mrs Galya Sargsyan their trust and support.

New incoming orders started to appear.The workshop could have developed due to trust and it could have been modernized and upgraded. It went hand in hand with hiring new workforce. The company expanded. Daily production capacity reached up to 700 pcs. Thanks to the cooperation with Modeta Style the company has been manufacturing for meaningful foreign brands from Italy and Germany. This successful cooperation has been lasting for five years.

Unfortunately new millennium brought new disappointment. Meaningful Modeta Style was affected by the crisis in 2002, which resulted in decrease of orders and A.G.J. had to look for a new strong strategic partner for sustaining the existence of dressmaking workshop.

They were aiming high. In the same year company contacted Pleas, ltd. (the biggest czech underwear manufacturer, whose trackrecord dates back to 1873). This is a subsidiary of world famous producer SCHIESSER ( one of the biggest world-manufacturers of underwear in Germany).

Brand SCHIESSER has had a long tradition over 135 years on the market and is outstanding due to high quality underwear from the material and processing point of view. This brand is thought highly by all generations all over the world.

The prospect of gaining such kind of cooperation is very low. A.G.J. was still a small company at that time. Despite all conditions Pleas, ltd. reacted to the offer and invited the family company led by Galya Sargsyan to personal negotiations into Pleas headquarters. Previous cooperation with Modeta Style played a favourable part in negotiations.

So that A.G.J. could cooperate with SCHIESSER, it was obliged to manufacture 100 pcs of mens underwear for trial. Such quantity took the whole week of manufacturing and the quality which was handed over to Pleas was binding. After fulfilment of that request A.G.J. was waiting for Pleas standpoint concerning quality level . That was key factor for establishing mutual cooperation.

Pieces which were handed over fulfil minimal requirements but finished goods are not perfect. To achieve valuable standards and was equalized the company was forced to invest into machinery, technologies, manually skilful employees. History repeated. SCHIESSER states the similar standpoint like Modeta Style. They can see the potential of A.G.J. its ambitions and prospects. The small company received a meaningful opportunity again.

The company has grown and didn't miss the opportunity. Although A.G.J. has always laid ephasis on product quality it took a while before it met the superior SCHIESSER standard. Manufacturing process needed to be speeded up and optimized so that the result would be of the superior quality and in the most efficient way.

Current daily production capacity is over 5.000 pcs of underwear.

Since 2012 SCHIESSER has been a part of international Delta Galil group, which brings further quality requirements and observing the terms including higher level of responsibility.

The company has expanded rapidly. A.G.J. purchased new machinery and hired more employees. They have gained more orders from SCHIESSER. The dressmaking workshop in Otín, where was A.G.J. in rent since 1997, didn't offer sufficient production capacity anymore.

The company rellocated in 2014 into its own brandnew premises in Jamne by Jihlava.

16-year lasting cooperation with SCHIESSER has shifted A.G.J. to high-level underwear manufacturing.

FUTURE

The future of A.G.J.- produktion, ltd. has been standing on clear visions. Further expansion and adjusting to new trends is a matter of course. „We will stick to our strategic partners and deepen our mutual cooperation and at the same time face new challenges. We are going to stick to three values– Quality . Reliability. Stability.“