Kodiak Coats

Lil Model in the making: Doris Williams poses with grandaughter Brenda in her new waterproof KODIAK coat! Doris finished her second coat today.

Can’t decide which is cuter: Hood up or Hood down?

The Final Finish: Lavelle Young poses with son Darren Frank Young in his brand new waterproof KODIAK coat handmade by Mom!

On Friday, Oct. 3rd, 2008: ABC met with owner/operator Bridget Milligan and consultants. We toured Kodiak Coat Company studio, storage and equipment. Friday evening, Bridget Milligan also presented our website training photos at an art opening during First Friday in Juneau – and drummed up more support for the co-op’s efforts. She also sent back additional coat kits so the sewing c0-0p can keep practicing until the next training. Sewing machines will be available this week in the ABC classroom for anyone doesn’t have one at home.

Check out the first finished coat from last week’s training: Lavelle made the coat for son Darren, but Pauline doesn’t mind modeling it in the meantime…especially in the rain. Here’s more photos from last week’s training and tour:

The Kodiak Coat Company mentorship started this week at Angoon Business Center. Working with a core group of women who committed last month to adopting the business as a cooperative, owner/operator Bridget Milligan focused on teaching the group her patterns. She prepared 12 sewing kits (one for each participant) that included the pre-cut pieces for children’s coats. Co-op members are making their first practice coat to give to their own child or grandchild. ”Mainly, I just love the idea of kids in Angoon running around in my coats,” laughs the “Coat Lady.”

So far, Bridget is excited by the group’s work: “There’s been a joyous camaderie and a lot of interest and enthusiasm. I’m also impressed by how gentle and conscientious the sewing is. The results have been beautiful and the seamstresses take real pride in their workmanship.”

This first mentorship session will continue through Thursday. Bridget will be at ABC from 8 AM until 10 PM, M-W of this week, to accomodate everyone’s schedules. On Thursday afternoon, she’ll return to Juneau to finish working on her boat. Bridget will come back to Angoon for more training sessions in sewing, production, marketing and shipping, as well as managing company finances. She hopes to be able to transport her industrial sewing equipment back to Angoon with her this month. To see more pictures of this week’s trainings, go to the Workshops & Trainings tab and click on Kodiak Coats.

Thanks go out to Angoon schools for loaning sewing machines and to Jerry Samato for hauling them to the business center.

SEPTEMBER 29TH-OCTOBER 2ND: BUSINESS MENTORING WITH BRIDGET MILLIGAN, OWNER-OPERATOR OF KODIAK COAT COMPANY:

AUGUST 7th-14th: BUSINESS PROPOSAL MEETING WITH BRIDGET MILLIGAN, OWNER-OPERATOR OF KODIAK COAT COMPANY

Bridget Milligan, retired owner of the Kodiak Coat Company, is proposing to donate her business to people in Angoon, after hearing an APRN/KTOO story about local economic development efforts. Bridget said she was sewing and listening to the radio story about Angoon when the idea of giving her company to a village occurred to her. Her friends Rick and Bobbie Sue Wolk also supported her interest in Angoon and arranged a Juneau meeting between Bridget and Kim Getgood of ABC, as well as Andrei Chakine and Thomas Gallant of Central Council’s Business Economic Development Department. The entrepreneur lived a fishing subsistence lifestyle in rural Alaska when she started sewing her children’s clothes. Soon she was taking orders and watching her children grow and sew along with her, building a successful company and moving it to Juneau. The seamstress, who grew up in California, was Sonny & Cher’s first clothing designer (no kidding: you can find her name on their first album.) Bridget also has a love of boats and the sea that is reflected in her company’s logo – A wooden dory. Twenty-two years after starting her business, Bridget is happy to retire with children in college and a new dory to test out. She intends to donate her equipment, patterns, and expertise to a village that can benefit from her company’s loyal clientele and popularity and is testing interest in Angoon. A group of ten people attended the first slideshow presentation at ABC to meet Bridget and learn more about her company and line of business. Bridget held two additional presentations and a community meeting at which eight people signed a commitment paper stating their interest in further training and their desire to bring the business to Angoon. Bridget is scheduled to return with sewing kits and donated machines to train clients in putting her coat designs together. Stay tuned to this page for more updates on this opportunity.

Forrest inspects one of the Kodiak Coat samples Bridget shared during her slideshow and talk. This coat became very popular among fishermen in Kodiak and Juneau.