National
News
- August 2006
July 12, 2006 (Company Release) - RFID Journal, the world's
leading media and events company covering radio frequency
identification (RFID), and the American Apparel & Footwear
Association (AFA), the national trade association for the
apparel and footwear sector, have teamed up to launch the
first conference and exhibition for the apparel and footwear
industry. The RFID Journal-AAFA Apparel & Footwear
Summit will be held at the Fashion Institute of Technology
(FIT) in New York City, Aug. 15-16, 2006.
James Stafford, head of RFID at Marks & Spencer (M&S), will deliver
the keynote address at the conference. Marks & Spencer is an acknowledged
global leader in using RFID technology to improve the stock visibility of apparel.
After a successful in-store trial in 2005, it began scanning individual clothing
items in 42 stores in the United Kingdom earlier this year. Stafford will explain
how his company is benefiting from using RFID, where the savings are, the deployment
challenges his team overcame and how M&S plans to move forward.
Avery Dennison is the cornerstone sponsor for the event. The company will co-host,
along with RFID Journal, a leadership forum in which leaders from leading apparel
and footwear vendors will discuss the challenges and benefits of using RFID
to improve their business practices. Topics of discussion will include the
cost of tagging individual items, privacy and other critical issues.
"The apparel and footwear industry is keenly interested
in the benefits that RFID technology can provide," says
Mary Howell, VP of industry relations for the AAFA. "This
event will highlight case studies and real-world examples
of how companies are benefiting from using RFID in the
supply chain and the retail environment."
A number of leading apparel and footwear companies have launched pilots and
early deployments, and as the cost of tags has come down, interest in RFID
has grown. Lower tag
costs make it economically viable for companies to tag
and track individual apparel and footwear items moving
through the supply chain. The conference will highlight
some of the early success stories in the apparel sector,
as well as some projects that didn't fare quite so well.
To learn more, visit www.rfidjournal.com
Atlanta, GA (Textile Web) - Sewn products industry members
need only travel as far as New York City this fall to get
a first-hand look at the products, services and manufacturing
capabilities of the African continent. Urban Expositions
and the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA)
announce that more than 30 textile and apparel companies
from Africa will come together to form one of many global
pavilions at Material World New York, September 26-28,
2006 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
The Africa Pavilion, organized by Trade Links, LLC, will
showcase fabric, AGOA duty-free apparel, and a range of
services, including computer-aided design, grading, plotting,
cutting, CMT, embroidery, washing and more from a range
of countries, including Botswana, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Kenya,
Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Swaziland, Madagascar, and
others. In addition, the Africa Pavilion will also host
a free seminar presentation on Tuesday, September 26 from
2:45 – 3:45 p.m.
The panel discussion, titled “Brand Africa Presents:
What’s New – Sourcing Apparel in Africa,” will
be moderated by Dr. Bill Releford, Jr., US President
and CEO of Made in Africa, and the driving force behind
the continent’s popular “Butta” brand.
During the program, Releford and the panelists will touch
on what’s changed in Africa’s apparel supply
chain, and the many benefits available to companies that
source garments in sub-Saharan Africa today. Admission
to the hour-long program is free and requires no pre-registration,
but seating will be first-come, first-served.
Material World is the premier global sourcing, fabric,
trim and trend trade event for the sewn products industries
and provides an ideal setting for fabric and trimming suppliers,
as well as garment manufacturers and representatives from
around the world to present their lines and services to
leading private label retailers and branded apparel companies.
In addition to the Africa Pavilion, other countries participating
in the upcoming New York edition will include China, Korea,
Thailand, India, Pakistan, Japan, Bangladesh, Morocco and
many more.]
Material World New York will also host a number of additional
pavilions including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Show attendees
will also find the most comprehensive presentation of US
domestic and regional providers from throughout the Americas
and the Caribbean
In addition to a comprehensive exhibitor base, Material
World New York also features a cutting edge trend pavilion
showcasing the latest colors, textures and fabrics for
Autumn/Winter 2007/2008, a full-scale educational program,
as well as a special presentation of home furnishings’ fabric
providers.
Show hours for Material World New York at the Jacob K.
Javits Center are 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. on September
26-27 and 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, September
28.
New York, NY, July 19, 2006 (Company Release) – The
National Association of Uniform Manufacturers & Distributors
(NAUMD) announced today the first of the association’s
newly created regional meetings would be held on October
27, 2007 at The Williams Club in New York City.
The program, which will include a professional development
seminar, networking reception and dinner, will feature
a presentation titled “Improving Sales & Marketing
Skills: Making Every Conversation a Successful Sales Call,” given
by best selling author and executive coach Peter deLisser.
Mr. deLisser, a former Williams College & Columbia
University football coach, will offer attendees new perspectives
on improving their sales skills to gain better results.
According to NAUMD Executive Director Richard J. Lerman, “The
regional meetings have been designed to provide additional
benefits for members such as educational opportunities,
regional networking and a forum through which they can
share best practices on industry business solutions. As
an added bonus, these events will provide the chance for
members to interact between NAUMD conventions.”
Peter deLisser is the author of the international Amazon
best seller, “Be Your Own Executive Coach: Master
High Impact Communications Skills,” and a much sought
after national speaker. His clients include IBM, Hoffmann
LaRoche, AT&T, Pfizer and Business Week. He has individually
coached hundreds of senior and high potential executives
to accelerate their careers by increasing their sales and
effectiveness in managing. Since his coaching career, Mr.
deLisser has been a successful national sales training
manager, VP of marketing and a global team builder for
major companies.
The NAUMD has served as the accepted voice of America’s
uniform, career apparel and corporate imagewear Industry
since 1933 and is a nonprofit trade association representing
the interests of its over 450 companies who are engaged
in the design, development, material supply, manufacture
and distribution of uniforms, career apparel, and associated
accessories to businesses worldwide.
For further information, or to receive registration materials,
contact the NAUMD office at 212.869.0670, or email rjlerman@naumd.com . You may also visit www.naumd.com to learn more.
July, (Wearables, as reported by Rock Neelly) - Chefwear is no longer a black-and-white
business.
Dickies Chef, the kitchen-targeted line from the uniform industry giant, has
been shipping for just over a year. “We started shipping in April of
2005. The line has been greeted by restaurants with incredible results“ says
Dickies Executive Vice President Linda Flores.
Dickies took a market category with a reputation for wearing almost exclusively
white and black and introduced fashion. Chefs across the country responded
by buying, Flores says.
In the apparel game, the compliments everyone cares about come in the form
of purchase orders. Dickies Chef has been complimented quite well in the last
year.
Why has the line generated such fervor in the marketplace?
Dickies Chef has great color. The line offers such interesting additions to
the kitchen as champagne, cobalt, copper, and celery. They also have added
textures and patterns: copper stripe, cobalt stripe, a black texture, a diagonal
stripe, gray and blue vertical stripes, gray and red vertical stripes, a check,
a great abstract pattern called Chef's Crossing, and even two versions of denim
a stripe and an actual denim fabrication.
There was a method to their madness and the boldness
of the new line. See, women are finally entering the kitchen.
Read that one again. It sounds wrong, but in the hospitality
game, men have ruled the kitchens. Chefs were men traditionally,
and women worked the front of the restaurant. Not so any
longer, Flores assures us.
Flores notes: “We noticed a big change in the graduation rates at culinary
institutes. Over 50 percent of the graduates are now women. That is a seismic
shift over 10 years ago. As we first prepared to introduce the Dickies Chef
line, we designed a line with product engineered to fit a woman's body.”
The chef coats for women, she says, have cuts that work over a woman's hips
and aren't two sizes too big and too long for her frame.
And these new female chefs want color and fashion for their uniforms. Dickies
answered the call.
Dickies put together the line with a strategy of good, better, and best. There
is something in the line of coats, pants, vests and hats for any type restaurant.
Our line was designed for both comfort and safety in the kitchen. It's the
right line for either the established top line four-star restaurant or the
progressive upstart.
Plus, according to Flores, there is a pecking order in
the kitchen. There are Master Chefs, and Executive Chefs
and there are those in training. In better restaurants,
each level will wear a different coat to show rank. You
need to show that you are aware of those distinctions.
Flores sees great things on the horizon.
“We know that right now there are national contracts out there with restaurant
chains with thousands of locations. Those chains are looking at us, checking
us out. They want to see how we perform, how we ship, how our line holds up,” Flores
explains. “Soon, one of our promotional partners or apparel dealers is
going to land one of those big fish by showing Dickies Chef.
“We knew in our first year Dickies Chef wasn't going to land that kind
of big chain. So we targeted what we made for the small chain, maybe the 36-unit
chain or the individual steak house. But with this year's response, we're expecting
great things.”
Does Flores have any tips on what to carry through the door to the kitchen
when selling those chefs?
Sure, she says. Don't forget that the chefs wear a shirt under those coats.
New technology fabrics that wick moisture and that keep them cool are just
what they are looking for.
Kansas, July 10, 2006 (The Wichita Eagle) - Is there a new airline in town?
Bright red jackets trimmed in gold, black slacks and crisp white shirts are
being worn by a new crew. They won't take to the skies, however. The 13 men
and women in red are members of the Mid-Continent Courtesy Crew. They were
chosen from 130 applicants, were trained in customer services and will have
the job of helping everything go smoothly for travelers at the airport.
They've been studying in the classroom and had several
days of on-the-job training. Today they're scheduled to
be suited up and ready to assist travelers arriving in
and departing from our airport. And they'll look good doing
it.
Courtesy Crew member Sara Hornecker says she's excited
about her new job and is happy to have a uniform. "It's
nostalgic and very professional looking. And I won't have
to worry about what to wear to work," she said.
Mark Chamberlin, director of marketing service for Armstrong
Shank Advertising, has worked on the Courtesy Crew project
for several months.
He said that after looking at passenger flow, it was
determined that each crew member would work 20 to 25 hours
a week in five-hour shifts. There will be members on duty
seven days a week.
The red jackets will make it easy for travelers to spot
a helpful person when they have a question or a problem.
This group -- and their uniforms -- is part of a new image
for Mid-Continent.
"The design of the uniforms ties to the airport's
current marketing theme, 'It's a Breeze,' which elicits
the feel of air travel in America during the '50s and '60s," Chamberlin
said.
The Fruhauf Uniform Co. in Wichita designed and manufactured
the neatly tailored uniforms. Courtesy Crew members will
supply their own white shirts and black slacks.
The women's uniform includes a long, oblong scarf, and
men have neckties, both with the Courtesy Crew logo.
The caps are what some crew members are hesitant to don. "I
thought they were only for special events," Hornecker
said.
Whether they wear their Courtesy Crew cap or not, their
mission remains the same: Help make traveling in and out
of Wichita a breeze.
Wilmington, MA, July 17, 2006 (AP) -- UniFirst Corp.,
which rents, sells and cleans industrial uniforms and protective
clothing, said Monday some of its controlling stockholders
plan to sell 4 million shares in an underwritten public
offering.
UniFirst said the shares being sold are members of the
Croatti family, which founded and manages the company,
as well as controlling most of its voting shares. UniFirst's
chairman, president and chief executive is Ronald D. Croatti.
The selling stockholders have granted the underwriters
an over allotment option to buy another 600,000 shares
for a 30-day period. The company itself is not selling
any stock or receiving any of the proceeds.
JP Morgan Securities is the sole underwriter for the
offering.
UniFirst fell 46 cents to $32.14 in morning trading on
the New York Stock Exchange.
Chicago, July 12, 2006, (Reuters) - Aramark Corp. on
Wednesday said quarterly profit would be about half of
what analysts expect as it takes charges related to weakness
in its uniform direct marketing business.
The company, whose businesses include uniforms, food
service and facilities maintenance, also said it expected
that weakness in the direct marketing business would continue
in the fourth quarter.
The company said in May it had received a $5.8 billion
offer to take the company private from a group led by Aramark
Chairman Joseph Neubauer and other buyers. The company's
stock is up 18.6 percent since the offer was announced.
A spokeswoman declined to say what specifically was causing
the weakness in the direct marketing business, which has
been hit in recent quarters by lower volume and margin
declines.
Aramark forecast third-quarter earnings of 17 cents to
19 cents a share after a charge of about 15 cents a share
as it writes down the value of the direct marketing business.
Analysts on average forecast 38 cents a share, according
to Reuters Estimates.
The company also said third quarter earnings will reflect
2 cents a share in costs for the termination of two unprofitable
contracts in its U.S. food service business.
For the fourth quarter, Aramark forecast 48 cents to
52 cents a share, excluding the impact of an accounting
change. Analysts on average forecast 52 cents, according
to Reuters Estimates.
Henderson, NV, July 19, 2006 (Company Release) - Zorrel
International, Inc., leaders in the performance lifestyle
apparel market, recently acquired the TimeOut Apparel Division
of King Louie International, maker and distributor of polos,
jackets, sweatshirts, and tees to the decorated product
market.
The purchase included the distribution center of 154,000
sq feet on 21 acres of land in Grandview MO, a suburb of
Kansas City. The facility also includes extensive decorating
capability including embroidery, screen printing and heat
seal.
Kansas City area King Louie International is a manufacturer
of apparel products for the promotional products industry.
The company provides TimeOut sportswear for women and men
to promotional product distributors, embroiderers, and
screen printers. Recently, King Louie had announced that
it was selling its various operating divisions. Zorrel’s
acquisition will enable the company to continue supplying
product to its valued customers.
In an earlier statement, Roger Carroll, King Louie International's
senior vice president, said the acquisition places the
company in a stronger position. "King Louie will be
able to better provide our clients in the decorated, blank,
and retail segments. We are very excited that Zorrel's
acquisition of King Louie will allow the operations and
quality customer service to continue; especially for our
customers who have been an important part of the company's
69 years of operation. I feel confident that the future
of the company and employees is in good hands with the
capabilities of Zorrel."
Zorrel International is a leading provider of performance
lifestyle apparel. Zorrel, supplier of Dry-BalanceT has
been providing cotton moisture transport apparel - tees,
polos, and outerwear - to the retail and decorator market.
Zorrel is the official lifestyle brand for Ironman and
LA Triathlon, and the official t-shirt for Nissan Xterra
Triathlon.
Eric Lee, president of Zorrel International, said that
the acquisition of the TimeOut Apparel division and facilities
is another step in efforts the company has taken to strengthen
its base of operations to support customer demands. "KLI's
internal capabilities will enable us to provide rapid response
to our client's demands. The recent licensing agreement
between Zorrel and the Ironman brand and special events
programs will be further supported by the added capabilities
in Kansas City. We see stronger partnerships with the companies
Zorrel and King Louie have worked with over the years.
For ZORREL clients in particular, the integration will
allow for better distribution and warehouse capabilities
to support their needs. We look forward to showing King
Louie's customers new opportunities in fabrics, design,
and the integration of technology with apparel."
A
new catalog showcasing all products offered by Zorrel
will be available in September, and a new product line
launch is scheduled for January.
Visit www.zorrel.com for more information
Boca Raton, FL, July 17, 2006 (PRNewswire) - Sun Capital
Partners, Inc. ("Sun Capital"), a leading private
investment firm specializing in leveraged buyouts and investments
in market-leading companies, today announced that The Life
Uniform Company ("Life"), an affiliated portfolio
company, has acquired Uniform City Corporations ("Uniform
City"), a leading provider of proprietary brand name
uniforms, shoes, and accessories to medical and hospitality
professionals for over 40 years. Uniform City distributes
through a network of retail stores, national catalogues,
and an e-store. Craig Linn will remain as CEO of Uniform
City. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Steven Liff, Managing Director, Sun Capital Partners,
Inc., stated, "The Uniform City acquisition is an
excellent fit for Life Uniform, allowing Life to become
not only a leading retailer of scrubwear and complementary
products, but a leader in the catalogue segment as well."
Robert Buzzell, CEO, Life Uniform, added, "We believe
that the acquisition of Uniform City will provide significant
cost synergies, strengthen our retail and online operations,
and make the combined company the clear retail and direct
marketing leader in the medical apparel and accessories
industry. We remain committed to providing our customers
with outstanding customer service at every point of contact."
Craig Linn, CEO, Uniform City Corporations, commented, "We
are delighted to be joining the Life Uniform family. The
combination will provide the necessary resources to greatly
accelerate our natural growth, which could not have been
accomplished as a stand-alone entity."
The Life Uniform Company operates 196 stores in 35 states
and is the country's premier retailer of healthcare apparel,
scrubs, nursing shoes, hosiery, and healthcare accessories
and supplies.
Sun Capital Partners, Inc. is a leading private investment
firm focused on leveraged buyouts, equity, debt, and other
investments in market-leading companies that can benefit
from its in-house operating professionals and experience.
Sun Capital affiliates have invested in and managed more
than 120 companies worldwide with combined sales in excess
of $30.0 billion since Sun Capital's inception in 1995.
Visit www.suncappart.com or www.lifeuniform.com for more
information.
July 5, (TMCNet.com) - Wearables Business asked 20 industry
experts what was cookin' in the kitchen apparel-wise, that
is.
The answers were, surprisingly for this crew, almost unanimous.
Nearly every one of the respondents on our panel offered the same suggestions
for success. Generally speaking, easy-care wovens are the hot menu item for
restaurant apparel today, with a side or two of performance features like stain
repel and release. Knits with performance qualities are also in demand, but
a trend toward a dressier, upscale look is making wovens more often than not
the uniform specialty of the house.
Yes, woven shirts for men and women are hot for restaurant
waitstaff, confirms Taraynn Lloyd of supplier Edwards Garment.
Especially if they can color coordinate their staff with
the decor of the restaurant.
Lloyd goes on to explain that part of the popularity of Edwards' own poplin
shirts are the 16 colors available, but more important is the style and the
easy care of the garment.
Easy care: home-laundered shirts that are wrinkle-resistant and frequently
possess stain-repel and release properties a pretty good concept for a restaurant
uniform.
Our wide-ranging panel of industry experts offer the following advice to help
PPDs concoct their own recipes for success in restaurant uniform accounts.
Why should the Promotional Product Distributor (PPD) bother trying to sell
the local restaurant with 30 employees?
Scott Thackston, Executive Vice President of Aprons Etc., answers this one
succinctly.
Two factors, says Thackston, make the restaurant business good for our customers.
One, the business is inherently messy and uniforms have a short life, even
with all the new fabric treatments . This messiness means that uniforms are
replaced regularly, and that means reorders. Two, turnover among wait staff
is extremely high. So that too leads to lots of reorders. These two factors
mean that developing a restaurant clientele means year-round orders. The orders
may not be big for single location restaurants, but it can be steady business.
Sierra Pacific's Mark Goldwater agrees restaurants are a good sell right now.
Owners have turned the corner (away from rental uniforms) by paying outright
for their uniforms and must now rely on their employees to do home laundering
and thus, easy-care/wrinkle-free type fabrics make a lot of sense from the
appearance side to restaurant owners.
What are the biggest trends in the restaurant industry right now?
Sareg McCulloch, designer for Toronto-based Ash City Worldwide, discussed the
importance of a coherent uniform program to the restaurant.
These days, she says, restaurant owners are seeking a more mainstream lifestyle
approach to their uniform apparel needs. They want the same looks found at
retail because the owners want their business to portray an image of being
current and on-trend, and one of the biggest ways to make this kind of impact
is to outfit the staff accordingly. The wait staff is on the front lines, day
in and day out, and play a huge part in the first impression made on the customer.
Tim Klouda, President of the Promotional Products Division of Minneapolis-based
PremiumWear Inc, says, The trend in the restaurant business is three-tiered.
The wait staff is wearing the basic knits and pique, supervising staff will
wear woven shirts and management is wearing nicer or upgraded woven shirts.
They are wearing both long and short sleeve versions of these shirts and tend
to buy fabrics treated for stain resistance and wrinkle resistance.
Wovens are very hot right now in restaurant wear, says Tim Shields, Vice President
of New York-based Capital Mercury, manufacturer of the Bill Blass Premium,
NYNE and Arnold Palmer labels. Woven sales have benefited from wrinkle resistant
treatments. Your typical waiter is on the beach all day and then scrambles
to get to the job on time he isn't going to iron his shirt. He changes in the
parking lot. Having a shirt that looks good out of the dryer is really important
in order for the staff to look good on a daily basis.
Gina Barreca, Director of Marketing for Vantage Apparel, concurs. Yes, we're
seeing that woven shirt styles are particularly popular for the front of the
house staff or floor servers. Restaurants are often the buyers that take advantage
of Vantage's shorten-a-sleeve program. It gives the waitstaff a large selection
of woven shirts that can be worn in warmer climates and during the summer months.
Sierra Pacific's Goldwater acknowledges, Wovens tend to portray an image of
quality for the restaurant. And fabrics are better, colors are more diverse,
and easy-care, to improve the waitstaff's appearance, is more important.
Perhaps the biggest textile advancement is stain repellant or stain release
fabrics, continues Eric Rubin, president of Long Island City, N.Y.-based supplier
Blue Generation. Stain repellent refers to fabrics that repel liquids; in effect,
liquids literally bead up on the fabric and roll off. This effect can be compared
to stain release, which refers to fabrics that may allow the stain to settle
into the fabric but are released in the wash, Rubin points out. These two features
can be combined in a Stain Protector Cocktail for dual functionality. All Blue
Generation pants and shorts geared for the restaurant market offer this amazing
technology.
What about restaurants and camp shirts?
Kansas City-based Dunbrooke's Executive Vice President, Bob Pierce, sees no
sign that camp shirts are past their prime. Many restaurant owners are seeking
ways to provide less-formal, more energetic styles that reflect their business
image. Like many business owners, they are asking the question, What do I want
my customers to think of when they see the way my employees are dressed? It's
really about lining up the dress policy (and the uniform program) with the
business image and goals.
Michelle Cook of Toucan Dance says, Camp shirts are hot right now in the restaurant
business due to their ease of care and the high comfort level and range of
motion they allow food industry employees.
Cook says, Toucan Dance offers Teflon applications, but our biggest performance
trait is that Toucan Dance makes you look good. A big trend in the restaurant
world is putting the kitchen and staff on display. When a restaurant does this,
staff apparel and neatness is of the utmost importance. Toucan Dance has outfitted
many restaurants with funky pants, attention-getting chef coats, and especially
eye-catching custom chef hats that are in right now.
What about accessories like ties, aprons and hats?
Kelly Holmes, Vice President of Sales for Buffalo Bay, based out of Greensboro,
N.C., specializes in restaurant ties.
At Buffalo Bay, we have seen a trend from polyester ties to silk. More restaurants
want to display quality all the way around. Quality food, quality presentation,
right down to the uniforms.
Holmes also adds, Overall, gold are hot in neckwear, but when it comes to restaurants,
darker colors and prints are always king. Anything that will help disguise
a spill. Reds and burgundies always do well.
When the restaurateur is budget-minded, Holmes also has some suggestions: We
are finding our savvier distributors are going with straight polyester versus
paying for a Scotchgarded fabric. With the high turnover in restaurants today,
they find it more cost-effective to invest in a simple, but classy, polyester
tie without paying extra for technology that a short-staying employee may take
with them when they go.
Polyester, says Holmes, does wear better over time. And, over the years, it
really has improved in appearance. We've progressed to the point where it's
no longer the 1970s where you can spot the polyester tie from four blocks away.
And for hats and aprons?
Apron's Etc's Thackston says, It's funny. We sell about 60% promotional grade
in our chef's hats. We even manufacture a crepe paper version that sells well.
So there's obviously a portion of the market buying chef's hats outside the
bistro segment, buying our best quality. Although I will say the quantity of
orders on the traditional chef hats are up tremendously. The number of pieces
per order is small, but volume is way up. Hats are definitely a good add-on
sale.
As for aprons, Thackston advises, The two main differences in aprons are one,
the utilitarian functions, the bells and whistles that a quality apron has,
and two, the quality of the fabric. Look at those two things when selecting
an apron.
Edwards Garment's Lloyd adds, Another trend we are seeing is that restaurants
are not only embroidering shirts for their waitstaff, but they are also putting
their logo on their aprons.
Finally, what about color trends?
Offering more color choices is a must. We are seeing an increased focus on
having fashionable colors ones that are more current, says Lloyd. Restaurants
realize that they are in a very competitive industry and recognize they must
update and refresh more frequently. This includes menus, decor and also what
the waitstaff is wearing.
Ash City's McCulloch says, Color is the story. While the foundations of black,
navy, white, red, and tan remain at the best seller's list, you must have some
fashion colors in your offering to complete the package. Without pops of fresh
color rounding out the collections, even great new styling can come across
as uninspiring.
So what are those fashion colors this summer?
Vantage's Barreca: Brighter colors like royal and red.
Hartwell's Moody: Celery and Tangerine. Jewel tones. Black will always be popular,
but the big colors for 2007 will be brown and light blue.
PremiumWear's Klouda: Reds, blues, and greens, but more fashion colors like
persimmon, lawn and Pacific blue.
New York, NY, July 10, 2006 – The National Association
of Uniform Manufacturers & Distributors (NAUMD) today
announced the publication of the inaugural edition of it’s
education Journal. The Journal is a publication provided
as a member service and will be available to members in
good standing only.
The association’s Executive Director Richard Lerman
explained that “At our last convention, it became
clear that no one could participate in all the professional
development seminars and workshops that were offered on
site. As an answer to this problem, we created the NAUMD
Journal which, in brief format, attempts to present the
key elements offered to our members and attendees in each
of the sessions presented so that members can take advantage
of all that was available.”
“Additionally, we are providing information on
other topics members requested during various convention
sessions,” Lerman continued. The articles included
in the first issue are, in effect, a cornucopia of information
members have asked for. The Journal is intended to provide
answers on how to build a stronger, more profitable business. “
Contributors to Volume 1 include Sandford Liebesman,
Ph.D. who provides an overview of ISO 9000, Kim Cooper,
who shares the latest career apparel forecast, and Thomas
Hudgin, who gives practical advice on creating a strategic
plan for your company.
NAUMD members will receive their copy of this new publication
via mail shortly. Formed in 1933, the association is a
nonprofit trade group that represents the interests of
the American uniform industry.
To obtain a complete listing of Journal contents, or
to become a member, visit www.naumd.com or call 212.869.0670.
Jersey City, NJ – June 29, 2006 (Company Release) – Best
Manufacturing Group LLC lost a long-time friend and colleague
on June 4, 2006, with the death of Lester Maslow. He died
peacefully at 91 at his home in NYC. Lester ran Best Manufacturing
from the 1950’s until 2001, when at age 87 he sold
the company to the existing Best Manufacturing Chairman
and CEO Scott Korman.
Born in Brooklyn, NY, Lester was the son of Charlie Maslow
who founded Best Coat & Apron in 1914. After attending college he spent over six decades
at Best holding the positions of vice president and president prior to taking
over as owner and CEO. Best’s associates, vendors and customers valued
Lester as an extremely knowledgeable and innovative leader who truly understood
their business.
Best grew and prospered under the leadership of Lester because of his knowledge
of the industry, his generosity in assisting Best’s customers to grow,
his faith in Best’s upper management and the loyalty that existed between
his employees and himself. It was said that Lester's promise and handshake ‘could
be taken to the bank’ by any customer or vendor.
Lester’s foresight in partnering with Milliken
to develop VISA polyester fabric for the industry and placing
an order for a million yards was a move that gave the fledgling
product instant credibility. A viable alternative to cotton’s
high costs, Lester knew that polyester was a fabric of
the future, and Best’s support for it had a major
influence on its acceptance and profitability. Lester also
realized the trend toward imports and subsequently began
some manufacturing overseas and helped to build up Best’s
Image Apparel business. Lester was a dedicated industry
leader who will be greatly missed.
Lester, a loving father and grandfather with a real passion for golf and boating,
is survived by his daughter Jane, granddaughter Jamie, stepchildren Patricia
Sheridan and Michael Cantor and brother Arthur. Lester served in the USAAF
as an officer in WWII.
Atlanta, GA, July 18, 2006 (Company Release) - Swift
Galey has named Rick Waide to the new position of president,
international marketing. Mr. Waide will be responsible
for managing customer relations and supply chain management
for markets outside of the U.S., as well as the U.S. Jeanswear
Division. His primary objective will be to continue international
expansion through leveraging the twill, corduroy and poplin
product lines manufactured at the state-of-the-art Swift
Galey Lucky facility in Yixing City, China.
Mr. Waide’s responsibilities will also include
delivery of products from the new Swift Galey Lucky denim
manufacturing facility currently under construction. He
will relocate to Hong Kong and operate out of Swift Galey’s
new corporate office.
For more information, visit www.swiftgaley.com
Seattle, WA, July 13, 2006 (Company Release) – SanMar
Corp., a leading supplier of wholesale apparel and accessories,
is premiering its complete 2007 apparel & accessories
catalog in time for the important fall selling season.
The new 340-page catalog features more than 600 apparel
and accessory options from its proprietary brands Port
Authority®, Sport-Tek®, CornerStone™ and
District Threads™ as well as Nike Golf and PING® Apparel
Collection, of which SanMar holds the exclusive distribution.
“The 2007 Apparel and Accessories Catalog showcases an incredible array
of products, and it’s been designed for easy shopping, with products listed
by type, so customers can compare similar products from different brands,” said
Lee Strom, senior marketing manager.
A family owned business since 1971, SanMar is based in Seattle, WA with six
distribution centers nationwide
To order the catalog, call 800-426-6399 or go to www.sanmar.com
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