We Take Pride in Our Workplace

At Cupid Intimates, creating a safe, secure, and efficient workplace is of prime importance, and is a vital component in all of our short-term and long-term planning and operations. But doing what we can to treat our employees respectfully, include them as parts of our team, and help them enjoy coming to work each day also derive from our core values. We believe that fostering such a positive, workplace environment has been central to our company’s eight decades of success, and has simply been “the right thing to do.”

Here are some of the ways we try to make Cupid Intimates a great place to work, along with some examples of the recognition we've earned through our efforts:

At all of our facilities:

  • Our consistent history of good employee-management relations has fostered an environment of cooperation, not confrontation.

  • We prefer to promote from within our company whenever possible.

  • We maintain an open-door, communication policy; all of our employees are encouraged to discuss any concerns with all levels of management.

  • We’ve achieved, and maintained, Tier 3 Status of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT). As of the summer of 2012, only about 300 C-TPAT importers, out of more than 13,000, possess Tier-3 certification.

    • What is C-TPAT? It’s a voluntary, government-business initiative that strengthens American border security while improving the efficiency of the international industrial supply chain. Find out more about C-TPAT here.

    At our American facilities:

  • We pay 100% of our full-time employees’ health-insurance premiums.

  • For approved, personal issues, our employees enjoy a leave-of-absence policy that goes beyond the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

  • We’ve had a pandemic-flu-preparedness plan in place since 2007. In 2009-2010, we successfully implemented it in response to the H1N1 global flu pandemic.

    • At our offshore facilities:

  • Our facilities are unionized which helps us better understand the needs of our work force, and fosters better communication among our management teams and all of our employees.

  • Most members of our management teams have been promoted from within our organization and hail from the countries in which our manufacturing plants are located.

  • We make sure all of our employees are offered free, annual flu vaccinations.

  • We offer interest-free financing for our employees’ medicine and eyeglass purchases.

  • We celebrate employees’ birthdays, as well as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and International Women’s Day, with small gifts.

  • Though the governments of Nicaragua and Mexico provide payments to our employees for sick days, we contribute an additional 50% of their base salaries for up to three days of absences.

  • We provide each of our employees with a one-time, financial benefit after the death of a member of their immediate family.

  • We’ve proudly earned, and maintained, platinum certification from WRAP. “Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the certification of lawful, humane, and ethical manufacturing throughout the world.” We abide by all of WRAP’s 12 Principles.
    • Exterior view of the Blackwell, OK distribution center

    Blackwell, Oklahoma

    Our operational headquarters and one of our distribution centers.

    • We have a unionized facility that, in our case, has allowed us to better understand the needs of our employees, and has facilitated better communication among them and our management team.
    • We’re proud to have positive relationships with our employees. As a result, our average employee has a 10-to-15 year tenure at our facility.
    • We recognize and roast each of our employees who’s accumulated 25 years of service; every year thereafter, each one’s invited to our annual “25-Year Club” celebration and dinner.
    • We’re proud that, over the years, many families have had multiple individuals work as our employees, sometimes from differing generations.
    • We recognize and roast each of our retiring employees with a party. At the party, each one’s presented with a pair of golden scissors.
    • We celebrate Halloween with an annual costume contest.
    • We encourage our employees to maintain good physical fitness and well-being by permitting them to distance-walk throughout our facility during breaks.
    • Since 1998, we’ve supported our employees in their personal efforts to raise money for cancer research through participation in the annual Relay for Life initiative.  Over the years, their hard work has resulted in nearly $1 million in donations from folks in the Blackwell/Tonkawa, Oklahoma area.

    Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

    Our design studio.

    • We have an excellent safety record.
    • We hold annual Halloween and Christmas parties.
    • We recognize and roast each of our employees who’s accumulated 25 years of service. Every year thereafter, each one’s invited to our annual “25-Year Club” celebration and dinner.
    • We recognize and roast each of our retiring employees with a party. At the party, each one’s presented with a pair of golden scissors.

    Masaya Nicaragua

    Our manufacturing facility.

    • We’ve achieved, and maintained, ISO 9001:2008 certification since 2007.  The International Organization for Standardization’s 9001:2008 is a quality management system that requires a facility “to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide product that meets customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.” ISO “aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for continual improvement of the system … .”
    • We recognize the hard work of our sewing operators with our coveted Golden Machine Award. During our monthly recognition ceremony, a local band leads the trophy around the factory to celebrate the achievements of the team that creates goods of the highest quality, demonstrates the greatest efficiency, and most completely fulfills the orders of our retail partners.
    • At the end of the year, members of the team who’ve earned the Golden Machine Award most often receive additional prizes. They may choose from a variety of items including appliances and bicycles.
    • We operate a store within our facility that sells common household and grocery items. By purchasing these goods in bulk and re-selling them to our employees, we’re able to pass on the discount we receive. In addition, we deduct re-payment for these purchases responsibly, over time, from paychecks, without charging any interest. And, our employees enjoy the convenience of receiving these items at the workplace, at the end of the day, saving them time that would otherwise have to be devoted to shopping trips.
    • We subsidize approximately two-thirds of the cost of breakfasts and lunches served in our employee cafeteria.
    • We offer interest-free loan programs to our work force.
    • We offer savings programs to our work force.
    • We reward our employees twice per year with a bonus for perfect attendance.
    • We honor each of our mothers-to-be with a care package.
    • We give holiday baskets to our employees at Christmas time.
    • We held an art competition in which our employees depicted their concepts of teamwork. The winners received a cash prize.
    • We provide space for a local medical clinic to operate a branch office right in our facility.  It’s staffed with a full-time nurse and a rotating group of doctors and specialists who have office hours at various times throughout the week.
    • We helped arrange for our female employees to receive free well-woman exams. (2012)
    • We’ve had a pandemic-flu-preparedness plan in place since 2007.  In 2009-2010, we successfully implemented it in response to the H1N1 global flu pandemic.
    • Our building is air-conditioned.
    • We’ve received the Best Exporter Award from the Nicaraguan Government on two separate occasions.(1999, 2001)
    • We’ve been recognized as a “Model Company in Health and Safety” three times by the Nicaraguan Government. (2002, 2004, and 2008)
    • We received an award for being “A Company that Demonstrates Concern for Improving the Quality of Life of Its Workers” from the Escuela Juan de Costa Rica, a Central American institution dedicated to helping employees create the best possible work environments for themselves. (2002)
    • We received an award for “Meritorious Public Labor and Business Leadership in the Economic and Social Development of Nicaragua”, from El Consejo Superior de la Empresa Privada(COSEP) (The High Council of Private Enterprise). (2008)
    • We received the “Gold Entrepreneurial Company of Excellence Award” from the National Cultural Program, a foundation that fosters educational and cultural opportunities for children. (2010)
    • In 2012, we implemented an exercise program for our employees who must sit while performing their jobs.  We’re hopeful that these stretching exercises, performed twice per day, for three minutes at a time, will help prevent repetitive stress injuries among our workforce.
    • We supplement the education of our employees’ children, ages 6 to 9. Topics taught include:  personal values like tolerance, responsibility, and perseverance; the environment and recycling; road safety; personal hygiene; and good manners. We also provide the children with backpacks and school supplies. (2015)
    • In 2015, we marked our 20th anniversary manufacturing our garments in Nicaragua. In February of 2016, we celebrated this milestone with members of our employees’ union.
    • In 2023, we honored our employees that have worked with us for 25 years or more.

    Calera de Victor Rosales, Mexico

    One of our distribution centers.

    • We’ve achieved, and maintained, ISO 9001:2008 certification since 2007.  The International Organization for Standardization’s 9001:2008 is a quality management system that requires a facility “to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide product that meets customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.requirements.  ”ISO“ aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for continual improvement of the system … .”
    • We give presents to our employees at Christmas time.
    • We celebrate Kid’s Day.
    • We operate a medical clinic right in our own facility. It’s staffed with a full-time nurse and a part-time doctor. As a result, all of our employees have convenient access to healthcare.
    • We’ve celebrated the hard work of our sewing operators by providing a Wheel of Fortune that they’ve been able to spin to win a variety of prizes including lunch, cellular phones, and small electronic appliances.
    • We’ve won a safety award from the Mexican Ministry of Labor. (2008)
    • We’ve purchased equipment and uniforms for our employees’ soccer team.
    • We’ve had a pandemic-flu-preparedness plan in place since 2007. In 2009-2010, we successfully implemented it in response to the H1N1 global flu pandemic.
    • We offer savings programs to our work force.
    • In May of 2012, we had a company outing at a local swimming pool.
    • In March of 2013, we celebrated the 13th anniversary of our facility.