Interview with Bill Kaiser

Length
14:30
Date
Interviewer
Dvorak, John A.
Description

Interview with Bill Kaiser about his life and his company, the Bill Kaiser Company, which was a supplier to the Midwestern garment industry. He discusses his family's business importing sewing machine parts in New York, and starting his company in Kansas City after moving from New York in 1971 supplying local manufacturers with sewing machines and parts, pressing equipment, and other supplies. He notes that by 1971 manufacturing had largely moved out of the city into smaller regional towns, and says that he believes a resistance to new, faster technology and automation was a factor in the decline of the local industry. He also discusses the assembly line process of clothing manufacturing and the variety of machines and other equipment required for production, and the American garment industry's shift to overseas manufacturing.

Interviewee
Object Type
Neighborhood
State
Country
Notes
The Historic Garment Industry oral history project was conducted by the Historic Garment District Museum in cooperation with the Kansas City Public Library.
Institution Website
Shelf Location

SC229 Garment Industry Oral History Collection

Digital Object Identifier
MVSC-GARMENT-Kaiser-Bill
Disclaimer
This oral history recording is presented as a historical document of the recollections and opinions of persons living and/or working in Kansas City when the history was conducted. Minor edits have been made to remove pauses, interruptions and verbal tics, and the recording is otherwise verbatim as it was captured. These oral histories represent the thoughts and opinions of the original participants and do not reflect the views of the Kansas City Public Library or its partner organizations in this oral history project.
Use & Reproduction

This material is protected by copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Acknowledgement
This project was funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library.