Who's behind this

Built by a seller, not a middleman.

Groundwork Sourcing is built by Sang (Lee Sang-seop), a nine-year e-commerce seller who got tired of sourcing agents that only translate messages and never own the quality.

Sang, founder of Groundwork Sourcing, on a factory floor in China

Why Groundwork exists

The agent I wished I had, as a seller.

Chinese staff on the ground; founder is based in China

Nine years selling online taught Sang the same lesson every time: agents relay a message and take a fee, then disappear the moment something goes wrong — wrong color, thinner fabric, a slipped lead time, no one accountable.

So he built the agent he wanted as a seller — on the ground, controlling the line, answering for what actually ships.

— Sang, founder · Groundwork Sourcing

What that means in practice

Three things a message-relay agent won't do.

Physically visit the factory to confirm it's a real manufacturer — not a reseller listing.
Control production and inspect in-line, on the ground, while problems are still cheap to fix.
Own it when a batch comes back off-spec or a lead time slips — that's ours to fix, not yours to eat.

Groundwork staff checking a QC sheet and inspecting finished garments on the floor in China — Our staff on the ground — checking against spec, in China

See the full process on Quality Control and Factory Visits.

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