The 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Honduras on Thursday appears to have largely spared the major apparel plants operating in the region. Fruit of the Loom, Gildan Activewear and Hanesbrands all reported only minor damages to their facilties and no serious injuries to workers.
Tony Pelaski, SVP of human resources at Fruit of the Loom, the parent of Russell Athletic, said, “Fortunately, we only had minor damage in some areas (minor ceiling damage) in some plants. A bridge on a road to one of our plants collapsed on one lane. Traffic is being rerouted. Pleased to report we are unaware of any injuries to date.”
In a statement, Gildan Activewear Inc. confirmed that an earthquake in Honduras had caused “negligible damage” at its manufacturing facilities and that its facilities, operations, production and supply chain, including normal access to roads and ports, are expected to be “virtually unaffected” by this event. Three employees sustained “very minor injuries” during a precautionary evacuation of Rio Nance at the time of the earthquake.
At Hanesbrands, the parent of Champion, Matt Hall, VP, External Communications, said the company hadn't heard of any injuries or any significant structural damage to its facilities in Honduras. “We did have some superficial damage to the drop ceiling at one business park facility that that will require repair and cleanup. In order to do that efficiently, we sent the employees home and will reschedule their work. All other facilities are operating with normal absenteeism. We know of no country infrastructure issues (roads, bridges, ports) that will affect our business,” said Hall. “We are continuing to assess any issues with employee homes and property that may require aid or assistance. No injuries outside of work that we know of. Thankfully, the earthquake at this point is a non-event.”
