This is a Turkish worker in the process of manufacturing a FuzziBunz cloth diaper
Dear Loyal FuzziBunz Friends:
In December of 2010, we made the decision to leave our manufacturer in China due to several very good reasons and begin manufacturing with a factory and textile company in Turkey that had contacted us for our business. I can honesty tell you that switching manufacturers has been one of the best decisions I have made in a long time!
This past week one of my key employees and I flew to Istanbul to visit the factory in which all of our raw materials and products are being made. We were escorted by our manufacturing agent located there, who treated us like family the whole time. I have a very deep respect for the business ethics and the hospitality of the Turkish people. They are honest in how they do business and they are excited and willing to help us grow.
During our visit, we were able to see first-hand how all of our fabrics are made – they are not imported from other places or countries – they are all made in the same factory lending to a much more eco-conscious manufacturing process! We saw our fleece being knitted and finished to our liking. We saw the dying process and lab in which we can design our colors to spec – which are all eco-friendly dyes and processes by the way!
We also were able to see the women working on our products, packaging our products, sewing, etc and the conditions in which they work (which are impeccable)! I think one of the things that impressed me the most (of many) was the metal detector in which each of our diapers goes through to ensure that no needle fragments or any other harmful parts were left in the diaper. The quality control from raw goods inspection to final inspection is detailed — I have never seen such attention to quality as I have seen in Turkey.
It is true that with all new manufacturing there will be issues and kinks to work out. But HOW it is worked out and made better to suit the quality needs that follow the FuzziBunz brand is what is amazing!
At first the outer knit was not quite the same as previous production – but we fixed that immediately with a different knitting setting – it was not bad but different and addressed and fixed. And with the introduction of the Perfect Size cloth diaper by this new factory we ran into some elastic issues – which we personally pulled from our shelves and will fix and donate to a cause of our choice. We are replacing any problematic diapers as we always have. Part of this was our rush to meet the demand of our retailers and customers from the lack of inventory we were experiencing with our previous factory. The issue we had with fabrics is not entirely the factory in Turkey’s fault but our own for the desire to be able to provide product to our retailers and customers as soon as possible.
What I have learned from this manufacturer switch is that everyone – from the facility in Turkey our corporate HQ in Louisiana – has addressed any issues immediately and with ease and are all committed to delivering our customers what they want and expect from FuzziBunz.
It certainly is discouraging when I hear negative comments about the “Made in Turkey” diapers because they are not exactly like the ones that were previously made in China. Some made in China diapers de-laminated on a regular basis, which caused many problems for us and our customers. The quality we are getting now with all of our new production has far exceeded what was being made in China.
I would like to make a note on the fleece because some people have commented on this being different and not as soft too. Softer is not always better! It may feel nice right out of the package but over time it does not dry as quickly and tends to thin. While trying to be as consistent as possible with manufacturing changes have been made to our fleece to be more durable, softer and what is most important, functional! They keep your baby’s bottom drier!! The factory even went as far as to dispose of all fleece that was previously made for our production in lieu of making the changes I had requested to expedite our commitment to quality. We did not ask them to do this, they just did it at a loss to them.
I hope that we can all work through these changes together. If you believe you have a defective diaper, we are more than happy to replace it and honor our warranty. We have always done so. Please let us know and we’ll make it right – when we don’t know what the problem may be or see comments elsewhere, we always wonder why that person didn’t come to us first. We would have helped them and saved everyone a lot of angst.
And if there is one thing you take away from this message is that we want you to know that both FuzziBunz and our manufacturer in Turkey are committed to quality and evolving to an even better FuzziBunz for our customers. If you have suggestions or have further questions, we are just an email or phone call away.
Sincerely,
Tereson Dupuy
CEO and founder, FuzziBunz
Email: info@fuzzibunz.com
Another image of our manufacturing facility hard at work making FuzziBunz Cloth Diapers
