KTC Limited, the Hong Kong-based manufacturer of technical outdoor apparel, has joined the Fair Wear Foundation. KTC is said to be the first major supplier to major Western outdoor brands to have made the step of getting its factories in China and Laos to be supervised by independent monitors. Meanwhile KTC is working on making its “brand” as a manufacturer of quality products more visible – also to consumers. First steps have been a consumer-oriented website and the appointment of PR agencies in Europe. It is quite possible that KTC will launch an initiative with its customer brands to display the logo of KTC on the hang tags of the items in the stores. KTC is the spin-off of two Austrian entrepreneurs, Hans Kremmel and Dieter Waibel, who founded the company in 1971. In the 1970s, they became quickly the manufacturer of Mäser, the Austrian sportswear company, and later on an exclusive sourcing partner of Adidas in China. Today, KTC supplies a couple of outdoor brands, which, however, the company does not like to be mentioned here.

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