Yul Ku got his start making jeans for some of the biggest brands, including Calvin Klein, Polo Ralph Lauren and Gap. He now makes private-label jeans for Kearney, Neb., apparel retailer Buckle; European denim brand Big Star; and his own label, AG Adriano Goldschmied. However, don’t call Ku the “king of jeans” or the “Korean godfather of denim,” titles he’s been given as a result of his 32-year career in the apparel business – he might not speak to you for years. The 60-year-old immigrant is embarrassed by such grandiose nicknames, saying he prefers to be known more simply as a man who makes a good pair of jeans. Ku came to Los Angeles from Seoul in 1975 with his parents. At the time, he only knew a few words in English. But Ku taught himself the language of his adopted country and eventually grew his business, Koos Manufacturing, from a handful of employees working out of a 2,300-square-foot factory near downtown Los Angeles into a multimillion-dollar enterprise that employs more than 3,000 at a sprawling facility in South Gate and a factory in Mexico. Ku recently sat down with the Business Journal at the company’s lunch room – because he works alongside his employees in a cubicle and doesn’t have a private office –to discuss his career, working with his two sons and his golf game.

Question: People call you the “Korean godfather of denim.” What do you think of that title?

Answer: It is too big of a name, too strong of a name. I’d rather have people say, “He makes a good pair of jeans.” One day, a Korean newspaper called me the king of the jeans and after that I didn’t talk to them for four years. They wanted interviews and I said, “No, I don’t want to talk to you guys because you guys made me have my face down. I couldn’t see people.” My face was so red.

Really?

How could they say I am the king of the jeans? That kind of word means nothing. If they say “He’s a good maker,” that is fine.

So was there a point in your career when you felt that you’d become successful?

I don’t say that I’ve been successful. I just work and enjoy it. And I can still keep going.

What was the biggest challenge of launching Koos?

Not being able to speak English. I knew one or two words, but that’s all I knew. I still have broken English, but at that time it was much worse. People didn’t understand what I was asking them.

How did you learn the language?

I learned through talking.

Why did you come to Los Angeles?

My parents thought we had more opportunities in America. So my family came here together in 1975, and three months later we opened up a small clothing factory.

Did you come with money to start a business?

No, we had no money. Korea only allowed us to bring less than $500 per person. But my parents had a lot of family here, brothers and sisters. So my whole family started the factory together. And it took only a small amount of money to start it. And after that, I got married and started a new business.

What did you do?

I was a sewing contractor. I just hired one person and then a second person. And then I started to do all kinds of clothing.

Why clothes?

My parents had a manufacturing facility in Seoul and they made clothes. I would play around in the factory when I was little. And then when I was in junior high and high school, I started to help with whatever was necessary.

Did you always want to be in the apparel industry?

It’s the only thing I knew. I didn’t know anything else.

How did you start making jeans?

I believed that if I could make five-pocket jeans, then I could build the business continuously. The beginning was hard. I tried looking for the business. I sent Calvin Klein letters so many times.

The letters worked.

The then-vice president of production for Calvin Klein called me and wanted to see me in El Paso, Texas, where they manufacture and have a warehouse. I told him yes, I will go. He asked me if I could make a two-piece waistband instead of a four-piece waistband because someone else couldn’t do it. And I could do it. So once I started working, he was happy and he gave me more business.

That’s what got you established?

After that, I never went looking for business. People always came to me.

Why?

Because we deliver the product fast. Whatever I promise, I try to make that happen and I try to make a good quality garment.

In 2000, you partnered with Adriano Goldschmied, who is known as another “godfather” of denim, to launch a premium denim brand.

Then I felt like I could make just one piece or two pieces and deliver it. When we started, we delivered a small amount and now it’s getting bigger.

You bought out Goldschmied in 2004. Did his departure hurt the business?

He is a very good designer, but he is hard to work with. He’s very creative and a great designer, but he doesn’t know much about the business side. So it’s hard to put those together. And we were flat for a couple of years because the consumer was worried about AG without its designer. But we started to develop some more products and my older son started working on the design.

You work with your two sons, Sam and Billy. What’s that like?

My oldest son, Sam, has worked here for 10 years. I thought it would be complicated to work together as a family, but I’m very happy. My older son is on the creative side and Billy, my younger son, is on the finance side. So I think it’s good. There aren’t any problems.

Do you three ever argue?

I’m too strong (laughing).

So do you take any advice they give you?

Five years ago, no way. I learned to listen to them. I listen, then I think about it and then I change my mind if it’s good advice.

What’s been the biggest mistake you’ve made?

Opening AG Adriano Goldschmied stores. I kept trying to open up stores and then I recognized that I couldn’t keep going. So I stopped opening stores, because if I kept opening up stores – which were costing a lot of money – maybe I wouldn’t be here anymore.

What did that teach you?

I had to go through the experience and learn. I tell my family: I will go through mistakes this much (gestures with hands spread apart) so you guys can through mistakes this much (bringing hands closer together). My experience going through those mistakes, you guys can use that.

How does it feel to have built Koos into a major manufacturing operation?

It feels good. A lot of people retire here. Our sewing factory, we have a lot of older people who have been working here for as long as 30 years. I feel like I’m growing the business with them. I didn’t feel like one day, when I start making money, then I will totally separate from the people. That’s not my style. I like to work together with the people. I don’t have my own office.

You don’t?

Some people have an office, but I don’t need it.

What was your childhood like?

We weren’t rich rich. But we were OK.

Tell me about your mother.

She was a very strong businesswoman in Korea. She would do business starting in the morning: cutting, sewing, shipping and collecting money. That’s the way she did business. And that’s what I learned from her. I try to do my business quickly. I try to turn around a finished product in five, six or seven days.

And your father?

My father was an engineer. So I have engineering and business on both sides.

Did you ever go to college?

I went to college in Korea. I didn’t finish. While I was in college, I went into the navy. I was on a boat for six months and after that I was doing what is like a CIA kind of job.

What did you do?

Office work and no more (laughs).

How did you meet your wife?

We knew each other when we were young. She grew up close to my parents and my grandparents in Korea. And my grandparents always asked me to marry her.

Tell me about your daily routine.

Usually, I wake up around 5 a.m. I go golfing around 6 in the morning and I’m finished by 7:30 or 8 a.m. I come to work at 8:30 a.m. and I start working until I’m finished. I usually leave here around 5:30 p.m.

You are a big golfer?

I’ve been playing golf for about 26 years now. I think I’m a pretty good golfer. My handicap is 4 or 5, so I’m pretty good.

What’s your favorite course?

Pebble Beach.

How did you pick up golf?

Jeff Rudes at J Brand Jeans. He had another business a long time ago, he was a manufacturer and I was the contractor making jeans for him. We went to a golf course together and then I started playing.

How do you balance work and your personal time?

When I’m at my work, I’m pretty much working. But once I get out of work, then I’m going to be just a person. I go to Korea for two weeks and I don’t call the office. Even when I go to other countries for work, I don’t call the office. They can work it out themselves without me. Sometimes they need me, but most of the time they are OK. This company runs itself.

How often do you go to Korea?

Every year. We have a group of four couples, eight people, who go to Korea to play golf. For 15 years, we’ve gone to Korea to Jeju Island, which is like Hawaii for Asia. We go there and play golf for six, seven or eight days, and then we go to Seoul and everybody splits up.

Are your sons going to take over the business when you retire?

They think I will never retire. They think I will be 90 years old and still coming into work. I enjoy working.

Don’t you want to relax?

Most people in this business, they have a lot of stress. But I don’t have a bunch of stress. Everybody takes care of their job. They work hard, but no one is running around here. At other companies, people are running around and trying like crazy to make things. Everybody is quiet here.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

A guy named Fred Jackson – he’s my good American friend – he started saying “Life is good.” He said, “Any place you go, life is so good.” So no matter what, I follow that. Even when you work harder, life is good. When you play golf, life is good. I’m very happy with those words.

Yul Ku

TITLE: Founder and Chief Executive

COMPANY: Koos Manufacturing Inc.

BORN: 1951; Busan, South Korea.

EDUCATION: Attended college in Korea.

MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE: Fred Jackson, at thread supply company American & Efird, who taught him the saying “Life is good.”

CAREER TURNING POINT: Manufacturing jeans for Calvin Klein.

PERSONAL: Lives in Glendale with his wife of 35 years, Nanju Ku. They have two adult sons, Sam and Billy, and two grandchildren.

ACTIVITIES: Golfing.