Creator of Putin Team brand frozen apparel factory project at "Sima-land" site.
Portnovo Factory's CEO, Dmitri Shishkin, has expressed concern over the shortage of skilled labor in the tailoring industry, halting plans for expanding the production facilities, including a joint project with Sima-Land.
"Unfortunately, the labor market does not permit further scaling as there is a scarcity of qualified tailors, seamstresses, technologists, designers, engineers, and other key personnel," Shishkin stated, adding that their numbers have been dwindling. As a result, he said that while the company maintains ambitions for new production facilities, they will have to wait until a more favorable situation arises.
Shishkin further explained that he is currently focusing on improving efficiency and modernizing existing factories by shifting some departments to computerized sewing machines and increasing productivity through the effective use of human resources, equipment, and digitalization.
The company currently operates three large production sites in the Sverdlovsk region and the first digital sewing factory in Russia. Discussions between Shishkin and Sima-Land concerning a potential collaboration have been ongoing for several years. The idea was to establish a light industry hub and launch an autonomous tailoring operation under a separate brand.
Sima-Land's site in Patrusha has been granted special economic zone status. On a 276-hectare plot, plans call for the construction of a distribution center, a new headquarters for Sima-Land, a manufacturing cluster, and a residential district. Prospective designs for the residential neighborhood can be found here.
In 2025, the regional clothing brand Putin Team aims to enter international markets. By the end of the year, Dmitri Shishkin plans to open stores in China, India, the UAE, South Africa, and Hungary.
"Due to the lack of skilled labor in the tailoring industry, such as tailors, seamstresses, technologists, designers, and engineers, Portnovo Factory, under CEO Dmitri Shishkin, cannot proceed with plans for expanding their manufacturing facilities, including the joint project with Sima-Land. Instead, they are focusing on enhancing efficiency, modernizing existing factories, and improving productivity through digitalization and effective resource management."
"Despite the halt in expansion, Shishkin continues to explore opportunities in finance and business, with plans to enter international markets in 2025, opening stores for the regional clothing brand Putin Team in China, India, the UAE, South Africa, and Hungary. However, the success of these ventures relies heavily on the resolution of the skilled labor shortage in the tailoring industry."
