Applying AI embroidery machine to boost production capacity
Company opens store to make embroidery more accessible.
Glaucus Co., Ltd.
President Takayuki Dempo and his wife Ami
“We also produce pinback badges, mugs, coasters, and pillowcases.” says Takayuki Dempo, President of Glaucus Co., Ltd. (Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture).
Since its founding in 2011, the company has mainly subcontracted the production of original goods, producing a variety of items using processes such as badge-making and sublimation transfer. In 2015, Glaucus added embroidery. Dempo’s wife, Ami, is especially skilled at weaving and other crafts, and saying she “wanted to manufacture products using fabric,” she then set her focus on embroidery.
The embroidery machine model chosen by the company to initiate this business was a Tajima single-head machine. Although it was her first time using the machine, Ami remarked, “Thanks to the dealer’s friendly support, I was able to operate it without a hitch.” She continued, “They not only taught me how to use the machine but also shared valuable insights about embroidery, such as selecting the appropriate thread for specific products. I appreciate knowing that I can still seek advice whenever I encounter something I don’t fully understand.
Covid-19 Prompts Start of Full-Fledged Embroidery Business
It was the Covid-19 pandemic that prompted the company to get serious about starting its embroidery business. Tajima embroidery machines have been a favorite ever since.
The company introduced the “SAI” compact single-head, 8-needle machine in 2017. It is flexible, making it useful for detailed work such as embroidering names and for small lot orders. Operation is also intuitive, which made it popular with the company’s staff. After bringing in their first embroidery machine, Glaucus gradually featured more embroidered goods, for example starting sales of personalized embroidered name patches on their online store, but for all that, it stubbornly remained a sideline. At the time, the company mainly sold pinback buttons and other such products, while the scale of the embroidery line failed to grow much.
However, everything changed dramatically in 2020 with the outbreak of the Covid-19.
“Numerous events were canceled, resulting in the cancellation of orders for pinback badges and another related goods. Sales fell by up to 50%. We realized that the company could not survive if we continued the way were going, that we had to do something, so we decided to change tack and focus on turning embroidery into a real business.
We had been able to maintain sales of embroidery products unrelated to—thus unaffected by—conventions and other events, so we thought that was a promising category.” the President Dempo remarked.
It was an opportunity for individuals and corporations alike to seriously increase embroidery-related work, and sensing the global demand, the company started using their embroidery machines to produce original cloth masks. For a while after that, orders got to the point that they were making masks every day, but it allowed they to compensate for the drop in sales.
Reflecting on this period, President Dempo says, “I wonder what would have happened to the company if we hadn’t ventured into embroidery business at that time.”
Adding to the single-head machines, Glaucus’s factory now has boosted its production capacity by bringing in the “TMEZ-KC” six-head AI embroidery machine. They embroider towels and bathrobes used in hotel rooms as well as company uniforms. They can now fill even large orders rapidly. TMEZ Series embroidery machines feature Tajima’s “i-TM” AI technology that automatically adjusts the upper thread tension. “It helps shorten the embroidery process,” praises President Dempo. “We don’t get problems like shrinkage in sewing the fabric, and it lets us embroider more efficiently. The finish on towels is especially beautiful. There is little thread breakage. Embroidery threads can vary in quality, even threads with the same part number, but the TMEZ can handle any kind of embroidery thread.”
Meeting Customer Needs with a Combination of Silk-Screen Printing and Embroidery
In May 2022, Glaucus Co., Ltd. took up a new challenge with the opening of their “Embroidery Shop Hariii.”
Here, they provide consultation on embroidery orders and create samples. Asked what the aim of opening Hariii was, the reply is, “We wanted to make embroidery a more familiar.”
The world of embroidery is unique and distinct for the general consumer.
Many people have questions such as, ‘I’d like to have my name embroidered, but I’m unsure about the cost,’ and ‘What is the minimum quantity required to place an order?’ Despite their interest in embroidery, potential customers often find it challenging to access relevant information, which makes them hesitant to proceed with orders.
As their business grew, they came to notice these customers’ concerns. In response, they launched Hariii, a specialized embroidery shop. Since its opening, customers have brought various requests, from creating unique embroidered clothing to crafting baseball team uniforms. They also handle more complex tasks, like embroidering onto silk-screened T-shirts, which they eagerly accept. Their operations are supported by single-head “TMEZ-SC” and “SAI” embroidery machines installed in the shop. Additionally, they utilize the shop to expand their embroidery services.
Acting as SAI sales agents, they have begun demonstrating the actual machine to businesses interested in the embroidery business.
“Aging of the workforce has continued to affect embroidery businesses as the number of skilled workers decreases. Regardless of the demand from the general consumer market, no business will be viable without the factories or stores that make the product. My hope is to interest many more people by having them come and experience the embroidery machine.” President Dempo said.
* Reprinted from “Advertising and Planning” OGBS Magazine VOL.88 January 2024
Glaucus Co., Ltd.
627-6-A Arahata, Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, 359-1133
Embroidery Shop Hariii
10-6 Yuraku-cho, Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, 359-1117
