Kim to Serve as President of ACAC

Industry veteran Sam Kim has been elected the 2004 president of the Apparel Contractors Alliance of California (ACAC), the umbrella association of the American Chinese Garment Contractors Association (ACGCA), the Garment Contractors Association of Southern California (GCA), the Korean American Garment Industry Association (KAGIA) and the Northern California Chinese Garment Contractors Association (NCCGCA).

Kim joined the apparel industry 25 years ago when he got a job working at his father’s sewing factory in Los Angeles. In 1994, Kim left his family’s business to help launch Los Angeles–based American Apparel Inc., maker of men’s, women’s and children’s blank T-shirts. Four years ago, he opened a misses denim company called Makers USA.

Kim has served as a board member for KAGIA and ACAC for the past five years. An ardent supporter of local businesses, Kim devised a captive insurance plan for apparel businesses to minimize the costs of workers’ compensation insurance. Currently, the captive plan holds 4,000 policies.

“Our goal is to restructure our relationship with the Labor Department on state and federal levels and educate all members and nonmembers about workers’ compensation to minimize fraudulent claims,” Kim said. —Claudia Figueroa