Global Orphan Project's GOEX Marks One Year of Its Haiti Factory Opening, Celebrating the Workers Behind Every Shirt

One year after opening amid extraordinary challenges, GOEX’s Haiti factory sustains 52 fair-wage jobs, producing roughly 1,500 garments a day and proves high-quality apparel can put people first

Kansas City, MO, Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One year ago, the sewing machines started running again.

After nearly 18 months without work following the closure of GOEX Apparel’s previous Haiti manufacturing partner amid escalating regional violence, GOEX Haiti welcomed team members to work at a new facility in Port-au-Prince on October 7, 2025. Today, GOEX is celebrating the first anniversary of that opening and the people whose skill, perseverance and commitment have made the past year possible.

For GOEX, the anniversary marks much more than one year of production. It represents jobs restored, families supported, exceptional craftsmanship preserved and a commitment to Haiti that endured even when circumstances made manufacturing there extraordinarily difficult.

“When we opened the factory a year ago, we were celebrating getting our team to work. Today, we are celebrating everything they have accomplished since,” said Jessica Ray, president of GOEX. “These are exceptionally talented makers who take tremendous pride in the garments they produce. We could have walked away from Haiti when things became difficult, but that would have meant walking away from a people and a country that we care deeply about and that need jobs more than ever. That was never what GOEX was going to do.”

GOEX operated for approximately a decade with its previous Haiti manufacturing partner before growing violence in the surrounding area made continued operations unsafe. The closure left employees without jobs for approximately 18 months while the company temporarily moved production to the Dominican Republic. When the new Haiti facility opened, several employees who had worked at the former company were hired to work directly for GOEX at the new factory. 

That loyalty goes both ways.

GOEX currently employs 52 people in Haiti, with a goal of continuing to grow the team toward its previous workforce of approximately 70. The company pays above Haiti’s apparel-sector minimum wage and provides employees with benefits beyond their paychecks, including a warm lunch each workday, access to an HR team, eye exams, holiday gifts and additional time off for employees to spend with their families.

“A steady job is about far more than a paycheck,” Ray said. “It creates stability. It gives someone the ability to provide for their children and make decisions for their family with dignity. Our partners and customers make that possible every time they choose GOEX, and we never want to lose sight of the trust they place in us. Taking care of our people and taking care of our customers are not competing priorities. They are both essential to who we are.”

Quality Made by People Who Care

The anniversary also celebrates the craftsmanship of GOEX’s Haiti team.

GOEX’s production model begins with U.S.-made fabrics, which are sent to Haiti to be cut and sewn before finished garments move to Kansas City for printing and fulfillment. The company’s approximately 2,700-mile supply chain is intentionally shorter than a conventional global apparel supply chain.

Inside the Haiti factory, garments move from cutting through two sewing lines and then to trim, inspection and packing, where products receive a final quality check before shipment. On a typical production day, the team produces approximately 1,100 to 1,300 T-shirts and 450 specialty garments, or roughly 1,500 garments total.

“Our team in Haiti is the best of the best at what they do,” Ray said. “Quality matters to them because this is their craft. There is real pride behind a ‘Made in Haiti’ label, and our customers can feel that in the finished product. We believe people should never have to choose between purchasing a great product and purchasing one that was made responsibly. Our job is to deliver both.”

GOEX is a people-and-planet-first wholesale apparel company, producing premium custom apparel and wholesale basics while creating fair-wage employment. Its products use U.S.-made fabrics, and GOEX is a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation as well as a B Corp and member of the Fair Labor Association. The company has maintained its commitment to high-quality fabrics and garment construction even as apparel-industry costs have increased.

Every Order Sustains a Job

At the heart of GOEX’s business is a simple idea: A purchase can be good for the customer and good for the person who made it.

GOEX uses apparel to connect customers with makers, creating and sustaining jobs designed to empower workers to provide for their own families. The company says each GOEX employee in Haiti supports an average of six family members, extending the impact of a single job far beyond the factory floor.

That makes GOEX’s customers more than purchasers. They are essential partners in sustaining the model.

“None of this happens without people choosing to do business differently,” Ray said. “Our customers have stayed with us through delays, supply-chain challenges and an incredibly difficult season in Haiti. This anniversary belongs to them, too. They helped bring these jobs back, and every order helps us keep them here.”

As GOEX enters the factory’s second year, the company plans to continue growing production and employment while investing in the employees who make that growth possible.

“One year ago, opening those doors felt almost impossible,” Ray said. “Now those machines are running every day, our team is together again and thousands of garments are leaving the factory every week. That is worth celebrating. But we also see this anniversary as an invitation. There is more work to do, more jobs we want to create and more families we want to strengthen. The best way to help us do that is simple: Partner with us.”

For more information about GOEX, its custom and wholesale apparel or how an organization can partner with the company, visit GOEX Apparel.

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About GOEX
GOEX is a people-and-planet-first wholesale apparel company creating premium custom apparel and wholesale basics designed to deliver quality while creating positive social impact. GOEX uses U.S.-made fabrics that are cut and sewn in the Western Hemisphere, including at its factory in Haiti, where the company creates fair-wage jobs that empower makers to care for their families. GOEX is a verified member of the Fair Trade Federation, a B Corp and a member of the Fair Labor Association. Its model connects customers and makers through apparel that is designed to “Feel Good. Do Good.”

GO Project is a faith-driven nonprofit dedicated to breaking the orphan cycle through the power of community, commerce, and the love of Jesus. Through its family of preventative platforms - CarePortal, GOEX, and Strong Family - GO Project drives innovation and collective impact to strengthen families worldwide. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, GO Project partners with local churches and communities to create sustainable solutions that prevent family breakdown and empower families to thrive.

Press Inquiries

Kianna Sprague
kianna [at] epic.inc
https://goproject.org