Dignified Life-Changing Stories

“I thank God every day for my job and don’t take it for granted. I think it’s important to take pride in what a person does at their job, respect others and be respected. That’s what I try to do every day at my job."

Working in the garment industry runs in the family for Joanna. Her husband, brother, son, sisters, and aunts have all worked at clothing factories. She started working in the industry in 1989. In her current role at Dignity Apparel Tennessee, she helps other sewers hone their craft and succeed. Some of her other duties include operating the hemmer and expediting production.

“I enjoy the people who I get to work beside every day. We’ve had some great times together over the years including our company picnics where we laughed very hard and had a lot of fun. Back in 2006, my husband got sick and eventually passed away. It was a very difficult time in my life. I was able to take time off work to care for him and get through that period in my life. The way I was treated by the leadership here during that time made me want to come back to work when I was ready.”

Joanna is trustworthy and dependable. Her skills at problem solving make her a very important part of the daily operations at the factory. Often, she stays after hours to ensure everything is ready to go the next morning for sewing operations. The hardships she’s experienced in her life have helped her be an empathic person towards others.

“I am thankful for Image Pointe and Dignity Apparel and the opportunity to work for them. I feel like family here and I am cared for and loved very much.”

Shabani joined the Dignity Apparel team late last year as a supervisor. In his position, he manages the sewing team, completes daily production reports, quality checks finished garments and manages the cutting line. He also makes sure the correct number of garments are always in production. He came to the United States in 2016, after violence and conflict overtook the area where he is originally from in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“I am a community leader and pastor and working at Dignity Apparel is an extension of my ministry. I love serving people and helping them. One of the ways I help the people in my community and church is through translation. Speaking 5 different languages enables me to help non-English speaking individuals and families get the services they need like healthcare, jobs, etc. I can do the same thing for people at Dignity Apparel."

“It means so much to me and my small community here in Tennessee for us to create more jobs. I enjoy coming to work every day and love the company values that we stand for at Dignity Apparel. A dignified, life-changing job is where anyone can be able to provide for their family, be proud of who they are and of what they accomplish, and to just be happy.”

Intelligent, hardworking, and inspirational are some of the words that accurately describe Lindsey, a manager at our Dignity Apparel location in Tennessee.

She grew up in Tennessee, not far from the garment factory. About 8 years ago, she started as a line sewer, producing t-shirts. She was quickly noticed by her supervisors and within months, was asked to join the admin team as a receptionist. Her analytical abilities allowed her to continue to take on more responsibilities, from product assurance manager to her current position as Production and Planning Manager. In her current role, she oversees all aspects of product management, including planning, knitting, dying, cutting, sewing, and even shipping.

While she plays a key role in production, the first thing that you notice when talking with Lindsey is her happy, humble, and fun-loving attitude, particularly when it comes to her team. "The most impactful thing about working at Dignity Apparel is the people I've met and the relationships I've built. That's the most important thing to me and what I focus on. I love my team! My goal every day is to help them, and the company move forward. I never know what each day will bring, but I love tackling tasks head-on and completing projects on time. Our team sets high goals for ourselves, and we always achieve them."

With a screen printing career that has spanned three decades, Keith is our longest-tenured screen printer, and it is safe to say that if you have ever ordered shirts from Image Pointe, Keith has probably printed some for you. Before joining Image Pointe, he worked in law enforcement, but when that career threatened to take him out of state, he reached out to Image Pointe founder Jeff Swartzendruber, who offered him a job. He wasn’t certain he wanted to be a screen printer for the rest of his life, but added, “It has turned out to be a great career. Jeff and Pat Swartzendruber are great owners whose office doors were always open. I’ve enjoyed working here and relating to the different cultures of people I’ve worked with over the years. I have good friends here, and we all work very well together. If anyone left the company, we would miss them greatly because everyone is family here.” He added that working with people from different cultures has taught him to work hard and never take anything for granted.

Paw grew up in Myanmar and speaks Karen, English, and some Burmese. As a second shift finisher, Paw inspects garments from the embroidery and screen print departments before they ship out to customers. She met her husband, Dignity Apparel worker Kyaw Soe, in Thailand. They have been married for 12 years and have five children. She and her husband work opposite shifts, allowing them the opportunity to support their family and be home with their children. “The flexible scheduling works great for us, and I love working with my coworkers. The benefits, including health and life insurance, are great for our family and enable us to take care of them in a way that was not possible in our home country.

Sidika has lived in the United States since arriving from her home country of Bosnia 23 years ago. As a print finisher lead, she pulls completed garments off print machines, clips threads off of garments, and performs quality control on finished products. 

She left Bosnia in the 1990s after the war because there was no work for her. Since coming to the United States, she said that “Life has been better for my family and I. Because of my job at Image Pointe, my girls were able to go to college and my husband and I have been able to buy cars and a house.” 

Sidika appreciates the support from management and her coworkers and is thankful for the flexibility and extended time off so that she can visit family in Bosnia.

Since joining Image Pointe, Rebecca has grown as an artist, learned new design techniques, and learned how to best utilize software like Photoshop. She is excited to take over the designs for all international union accounts. “We have a great team here, and I feel supported in my job. If I need anything or want to learn something new, all I have to do is ask. 

My husband is a teacher, and we have three kids. Working at Image Pointe has helped my husband and I better support our family, especially since the cost of living has gone up.” She went on to say that the flexibility in hours enables her to be with her children when needed.