Sujitra’s Suds and Seams have been a staple of the Kitimat Community since 1996, and it’s obvious why when one pays them a visit. As a valued Partner of our Project, they’ve been our go-to for the supply and personalization of hi-visibility clothing. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when most of the world was closed for business, they continued to deliver our orders.
We’re happy to re-introduce you to our local partners Sujitra and Terry Smeader of Sujitra’s Suds and Seams.
How long have you, your family and your business been a part of the Kitimat community?
I (Terry) was born and raised in Kitimat, so that would be 61 years and about as local as you’ll ever get.
My wife Sujitra has lived in Kitimat since 1996 (26 years), and our daughter Sherryanne was born in Kitimat and has lived here all her life for 22 years. We have been in the laundry and workwear business in Kitimat for 26 years.
What is your role on the LNG Canada Project?
The business role of Sujitra’s Suds and Seams is providing the supply and sale of high visibility vests and jackets for JGC Fluor along with all the logo embroidered crests for JFJV and FCCL and personal name bars that are all sewn on the vests and jackets. We also inventory a lot of the vests and jackets in our store for JGC Fluor to ensure we have them on hand when name bars need to be sewn on in a timely manner.
Sujitra’s Suds and Seams has been catering to a lot of the contractors working on site cleaning and repairing their coveralls so they can perform the job of building the LNG plant.
How did your role with the Project change during the COVID Pandemic?
During COVID-19, we were extremely busy sewing on the embroidered crests for JGC Fluor, especially the vests. We were awarded the job of completing 10,000 vests for new employees completing site orientation which kept us very, very busy even though, for the first part of COVID-19, our store was closed to the public.
What has it meant for you and your business to be part of the Project during that uncertain time(pandemic)? For a mega project to put their trust in you as a local business?
Essentially LNG Canada saved our business as without all the work we were doing, we would not have been able to pay our rent, bills, and our staff would have been laid off. What this meant for us was that we are very impressed with LNG Canada keeping its promise to support local. Being in business in Kitimat for 26 years, we have been promised the support of businesses, but it never did come through as we got very little business from other projects.
For more information on the project and JFJV construction activities, please visit our website at jfjvkitimat.com or our Facebook page at facebook.com/JFJV Kitimat/.
