Uniform & Product News - September 2008

Company Press Announcements

Vantage Apparel Launches Zoom Same-Day Embroidery

Avenel, NJ, August 15, 2008 - Vantage Apparel has introduced same-day embroidery service under the new handle, ZOOM. Zoom service is being marketed as the fastest way to get Vantage embroidered apparel with same-day service levels offered at a nominal 20% upcharge from their standard embroidery pricing.

In addition to lower pricing, the company has extended the cut-off time allowing customers to place qualifying orders for same-day shipping on Vantage catalog items as late as 2 pm Eastern Time. Zoom service requires an approved logo to be on file with Vantage.

"Zoom service leverages our inventory of 3 million plus units and 900 embroidery heads in NJ, allowing customers to enhance their program business,'" touts Gina Barreca, director of marketing for Vantage. "Sure it can get you out of a jam, but it's really targeted to complement our no-inventory solution for decorated apparel."

For additional information, visit www.vantageapparel.com or contact their FastAnswer team
at 800-221-0020.

 

SanMar Automates Ordering Through DistributorCentral

Seattle, WA, August 5, 2008—SanMar Corporation, a leading supplier of imprintable apparel and accessories, today announced that it is the first apparel supplier to be fully enabled for automated ordering through DistributorCentral, a top technology service provider for the promotional products industry.

Distributors can quickly and easily search SanMar's entire product catalog to find the right product. Distributors can also see images of the items, read product descriptions, view pricing and, most importantly, place orders—all without the need of a paper catalog or a telephone.

"We're honored to be the first supplier to offer a fully automated ordering service through DistributorCentral," says Asif Jabbar, SanMar eCommerce developer. "As SanMar continues to develop and launch time-saving integration options, we seek to help our customers who run their businesses in an increasingly time-starved world."

Free to distributors, DistributorCentral is an aggregate website that allows suppliers to showcase their offerings online and gives distributors a centralized site to browse thousands of promotional items from hundreds of suppliers. Through DistributorCentral, distributors receive a free customizable website where they can display various products from DistributorCentral suppliers to their own clients. The site also allows distributors the chance to view real time inventory, check order status, view accurate pricing and place online orders with one or several different suppliers.

Additionally, DistributorCentral can be utilized as a one-stop business management solution, since the site allows all invoices to be exported to QuickBooks® for integrated accounting.

For more information about DistributorCentral www.distributorcentral.com, contact James Carter or Aubrey Darby at info@distributorcentral.com or 888-516-7401.

River's End Adds Columbia Sportswear to Retail Brands Offerings

River's End Trading announced today that it is adding Columbia Sportswear, a global leader in the active outdoor apparel and footwear industries, to River's End Trading's collection of quality retail brands and outdoor lifestyle apparel effective for Fall 2008.

Founded in 1938 in Portland, Oregon, Columbia Sportswear Company is one of the largest outerwear manufacturers in the world and a leading seller of skiwear and performance fishing apparel in the United States and has developed an international reputation for quality, performance, functionality and value.

All of Columbia's authentic, outdoor products contain innovative technologies and designs to help consumers stay outside and enjoy their activities longer. Columbia Omni-Shade™ products, including apparel for men, women and children, offer UPF protection against the harmful rays of the sun, whatever the season. For winter outdoor enthusiasts, Columbia Omni-Tech™ products provide waterproof, breathable protection against the elements while the company's Interchange™ styles allow users to adapt quickly to varying weather and temperatures.

"For 70 years the name Columbia has stood for performance, innovation, and quality for the true outdoors enthusiast," said Dick Ward, CEO of River's End Trading Company. "We are pleased to now make this sportswear for men and women available for corporate application."

View the Columbia Sportswear collection at River's End Trading by going to www.riversendtrading.com. or call 800-488-4800.

Penn Emblem Introduces E-invoicing Service

Philadelphia, PA, August 20, 2008 - As part of its ongoing "Go Green" initiative, the Penn Emblem Company announced implementation of their E-Invoicing and Statement Service. Electronic invoicing will be rolled out in the next several months, streamlining and adding efficiency to the billing process for all customers.

The Penn "Go Green" project requires employees and vendors to work towards protecting human health through environmental stewardship. Currently in the beginning stages, the initiative will include a myriad of projects like recycling, energy conservation and voluntary four day work weeks. "It is exciting to begin this direction for our customers, suppliers and fellow employees," stated Randi Blumenthal-Joseph, senior vice president of Business Development. "We hope these initiatives produce positive effects for our community."

For more information, please contact Randi Blumenthal-Joseph at randi@pennemblem.com

End User News

Cape Outfit Will Supply New USCG Uniforms

Woodbine, August 10, 2008 (Atlantic City Press) - Someone call Bravo - the United States Coast Guard is about to get a fashion makeover.

In a shift of attire from stylish to sensible, the Coast Guard will reoutfit its more than 87,900 members in new uniforms in a massive makeover that will take years to complete. It will be orchestrated through the Coast Guard's 40,000-square foot uniform-distribution center in Woodbine, Cape May County.

"We haven't received any of the uniforms yet, but we expect to have the new operational dress uniforms ready to ship out by the early fall," said Lt. Mike Bowman, manager of the distribution center.

Bowman said the new uniforms will be made out of material that is both more durable and more airy. The uniforms will also be untucked, which follows the lead of other armed forces.

"It wasn't that the old uniforms weren't functional, it was just a matter of knowing that they could be done better," Bowman said.

The new uniforms will also raise morale, Bowman said.

"Not only is it more comfortable, the new fabric that was used doesn't wrinkle as easily and is more resistant to stains," Bowman said.

Since the Coast Guard has fewer members than the other branches of the armed forces, its members are forced to get all of their uniform needs from one place, Bowman said.

"We're basically a one-stop shop for the U.S. Coast Guard. We've got basically everything you need right here," Bowman said, adding that there are about 4,000 pre-orders for the new uniforms.

Coast Guard uniforms have a two-year life expectancy, Bowman said, so the switch to the new uniforms will be done gradually instead of requiring every member to purchase a new uniform immediately.

"It would not be economical to basically just throw out all the uniforms that we already have and spend money on new uniforms when the old ones are still functional," Bowman said.

As certain sizes of the uniforms become obsolete, Coast Guard officials said new recruits will be issued the new uniforms.

There will be a slight price increase for new uniforms, however.

"It currently costs about $60 for a set, top and bottom, but I'm anticipating that that will go up to somewhere around $65 or $70 for the new uniforms," said Bowman, adding that the price increase is do to the use of a better quality fabric.

The Coast Guard plans to have its entire force outfitted in the new uniform by 2012.

Slidell Police Officers Get New Duds

Slidell, LA, August 4, 2008 (St. Tammany News) - Police Chief Freddie Drennan approved changing the uniform from the gray and black worn by police officers for the past three years to the dark navy blue uniform officers wore before Hurricane Katrina.

After the storm, a lot of officers lost their uniforms, and the decision was made to go to the gray and black uniforms. However, Drennan was told "loud and clear" by the officers they wanted to go back to the navy blue uniforms.

Assistant Police Chief Jesse Simon said there are several advantages to switching back to the old uniforms. First of all, they are cheaper. Simon said the gray and black uniforms cost $104, while the navy blue uniforms are $75. That's very important for the officers, who have to buy their own uniforms. Secondly, the new uniforms are much easier to buy in the area. Officer Gary Maiorana said the uniforms can be purchased in Slidell or in New Orleans.

Simon said the gray and black uniforms were special order, and officers had to wait for the uniforms to be shipped in.

Drennan said he got complaints from officers that the old uniforms were hard to keep clean and did not press well.

"The new uniforms keep a crease," Simon said.

But most of all, the officers feel the new uniforms just look good.

"They make us look very professional," Officer Mark Michaud said.

NWA flight attendants to wear Delta uniforms

August 21, 2008 (Business Week) - Delta Air Lines Inc. wants its flight attendants' uniforms, designed by Richard Tyler, to be worn by Northwest Airlines Corp. flight attendants in spring 2009.

Atlanta-based Delta is seeking to buy Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest in a stock-swap deal that would create the world's largest carrier. The deal, announced April 14, is expected to close by the end of this year.

A joint company memo to flight attendants of both airlines on Thursday said that in the coming days Northwest flight attendants will receive details on upcoming "style clinics" that will show off the uniforms worn by Delta flight attendants.

At those sessions, Northwest flight attendants will get to try on the uniforms and choose which pieces work best for them, Delta spokeswoman Betsy Talton said. Delta flight attendants will be there to offer assistance, Talton said.

Delta hired Tyler in 2004 to do a makeover of some employee uniforms. At the time, Tyler said he wanted the uniforms to "look sexy and great" while keeping a "classic look" as well.

The uniforms for Delta flight attendants, gate and ticket agents and airport lounge officials got a complete makeover -- from their shirts or blouses to their pants, gloves, hats and scarves. The uniforms debuted in 2006.

Tyler's dresses have been worn by stars such as Julia Roberts, Heather Locklear and Jamie Lee Curtis.

According to Delta, there are 14,000 Delta flight attendants and 8,000 Northwest flight attendants.

International News

The Grey Olympics: Should the Fashion Industry be Worried?

Toronto, August 1, 2008 (National Post) - If, in the next few fashion seasons, the color palettes on runways and in stores seem exceptionally monochromatic, blame it on the Beijing Olympics. That's what some people in the international textile industry are doing.

As part of its pre-Olympic smog clamp down, the Chinese government has closed dyeing factories, along with other pollution-generating industries, within a 200-kilometre radius of Beijing. Because China controls the majority of the textile dyeing industry, that's caused a shortage of hues, usually in abundance. Dyed fabric prices have shot up in the last few weeks, and the chemicals that are used to make the rainbow of colored pigments that tint thousands of meters of fabric in Asia are now in short supply. Some estimate that the input costs of dyeing fabric have risen by 25% in the last few weeks.

India, which has had a long tradition of textile dyeing, but which in recent years has closed down many of its manufacturers because they couldn't keep up with low-cost China, is now voicing the loudest complaints.

Rajat Sood, general secretary of the Ludhiana Dyeing Association (Cotton Division), told the Indian Express "if the Chinese industry faces any crisis, it directly impacts us." And Dilip Jiwrajka of Alok Industries, a textile manufacturer, told the BBC: "For the country [India] as a whole and for the industry, it's a major problem. We've been given to understand by the dye manufacturers that the Chinese dyes - particularly the lower and the middle end - are not available. If they are available, they're very expensive, resulting in the closing down of some small and medium-size units."

Of course, there is every likelihood that as soon as the athletes leave Beijing, factories will go back to belching out smoke.

Still, all eyes are on what happens after the Olympic Games. Color forecasters have been wondering whether they should tell us to think beige and only beige for the next few seasons.

Chances of monotonous fashion aren't very likely, says Rachel Crumbley, a trend analyst at Cotton Inc., in New York, a marketing company that represents upland cotton growers. "Consumers have been so accustomed to color they will not be willing to give it up." But across the line, from textile industry experts to other manufacturers, the Beijing Olympic dyed-textile story is being seen as an impetus for changes in the dyeing industry as a whole.

"I don't think the Beijing situation will have much effect on the fashion color palette, at least on the influential upper end," says U.S. textile writer and editor Gray Maycumber.

Still, Maycumber thinks we might see price hikes in lower-end clothes. While the Olympic games' clampdown may have caused a spike in dyed textile prices, many feel that after the games they will never be as cheap as before. And as China gets more sophisticated, manufacturing prices can only continue to rise.

"It will be interesting to see what overall effect the Olympics will have on Chinese business, particularly textiles," says Maycumber. "There is more of a demand for higher wages, so I don't see prices going down."

As a result, some forecast the renewal or growth of dyed textile manufacturing in other countries in Asia known for their needle skills, countries that had been priced out of the market by China. In India, owners of deserted factories that closed several years ago are pondering reopening their plants.

The Olympic story has also shone a light on the global textile-processing footprint - one of the biggest around.

According to Sam Winchester, a chemical engineer and professor emeritus in the department of Textile and Apparel at North Carolina State University, "about 85% of the water used in textile processing is in wet processing, predominantly dyeing and finishing; about 75% of all the energy - and 65% of chemicals - needed to convert fiber into apparel is used in dyeing and finishing."

The green trend is now hitting the dyeing industry. "There is a sustainability revolution going on," Winchester says. "[It] is not a fad or something that will go away."

At a recent international textile fair in Shanghai, green was the color du jour. "The treasure of natural dyes," and the "many pleasing combinations of natural dyes" were discussed and presented in forums. Morocco, where the dyeing industry plays a vital role in the economy, was chosen for a pilot eco-efficiency program of the dyed textile industry, sponsored by BASF, a major manufacturer of chemicals, and several United Nations environment and development organizations. The improvements from this project are meant to be applied to 27 developing countries with dyed textile industries.

How much the Olympics Games will be directly responsible for changes in the worldwide dyeing industry is debatable. But change is definitely in the air.

The Future of Laundry is Here: A Peek into the World of Uniform Cleaning

Toronto, August 2, 2008 (Financial Post) - The people inside Canadian Linen and Uniforms Service's ultra-clean clean room look like they are working for NASA. They are laundering uniforms for the automotive industry, and in order to get a perfect paint job, contaminants have to be kept to a minimum.

"We don't even use regular water for these uniforms," says Anthony Coulter, district manager, Canadian Linen and Uniform Service. "It is de-ionized because there are simply too many contaminants in regular water to ensure that new car with your name on it has a pristine finish."

You may be aware that uniforms enhance brand recognition, lend an air of credibility, even help with sales. But even those who wear them may be unaware of the high-tech gadgetry that goes into looking after them. We're talking microchips from Switzerland.
Canadian Linen and Uniform Service has been in the uniform game 83 years, and it was early to introduce RFID technology to its laundering process. It recently bought a 160,000-square-foot former hospital laundry in Toronto, took it apart, rebuilt it with an eye to environmental sustainability (for example, water use has been cut in half through a filtered re-use system) and started caring for employee uniforms from the likes of Kraft Canada, GM Canada and Bombardier.

Laundry equipment reads the RFID chip sewn into the label to track and monitor garment service.

Here's how the process works: The radio chip is like a transponder with a digital number that is quickly read by computers. That number corresponds with specific information stored in the computer: shirt with logo, size large, belongs to Mike Smith from XYZ company.

That's just the beginning. The chip also keeps track of how many times the shirt has been laundered, whether it's been repaired and what kind of repairs have been made, when it needs to be returned and when it should be taken out of rotation.

Soiled garments are scanned and directed to the appropriate cleaning services by a computer system that controls washing.

At the laundry-finishing stage, each garment is inspected and, if needed, sent for mending. The clean garments are sent to the "marrying station" where three identifiers (RFID chip, label and serial number) are used to accurately sort garments according to wearer and company. "You wouldn't think it was that high-tech, but it is," Mr. Coulter says. "In the uniform business, you go to all these locations, pick up the uniforms, launder them and bring them back. Was the right work done? Is it going to the right person?" Mr. Coulter says.

 

Store Unveils £4 School Uniform

United Kingdom, July 31, 2008 (The Press Association) - Store chain Asda unveiled what it said was the cheapest ever school uniform, at £4.

The outfit, for children aged from three to 12, is a flat price, regardless of age.

The company said that when M&S unveiled its lowest price uniform last week, at £6.50, this was only for children aged up to six, while a uniform for children aged 12 would be £13.50.

"Asda believes it is time that pricing structures that increase with age should be challenged and parents of older or larger children should not be penalized in this way," a spokesman said.

The uniform, designed by its brand George's "back to school" team, includes a polo shirt, sweatshirt (available in assorted colors) and trousers or a skirt.

The spokesman said: "The average family spends more than £320 a year on uniforms for up to 12 year olds.

"With the flat rate from George, spending on uniforms could be as low as £32 a year - saving a family up to £290 at a time when many are really feeling the pinch of the credit crunch."

In 2007 the equivalent school uniform was £6.25 and in 2005 it was £10.25, the spokesman said.

The £4 price relates to a uniform of: polo shirt 50p, skirt/trousers £1.75 and sweatshirt £1.75.

Study: Trade Deficit With China Cost 2.3M US Jobs

July 30, 2008 (Business Week) - China's soaring trade deficit with the U.S. cost Americans 2.3 million jobs and $19.4 billion in lost wages between 2001 and 2007, according to an Economic Policy Institute study released Wednesday.

The Alliance for American Manufacturing blamed unfair trade policies for encouraging U.S. companies to ship jobs to China, where labor is cheaper and its currency undervalued.

"Our flawed trade relationship with China is destroying good jobs," executive director Scott Paul said in a prepared statement.

Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau and United States International Trade Commission, the Washington-based think tank said high-tech workers were hit especially hard after China entered the World Trade Organization in 2001.

Imports of computers and electronic parts accounted for nearly half of the $178 billion increase in the trade deficit during that time period.

It also blamed the trade imbalance for pushing down wages an average of $8,146.

Overall, California suffered the most losses, with 325,800 fewer jobs. It was followed by Texas at 202,900, New York at 127,000, Illinois at 102,800 and Ohio at 102,700.

North Carolina ranked eighth among the 50 states and Washington, D.C., with 79,800 jobs lost, 11,372 of them within the apparel industry.

Virginia's job losses totaled 39,500 while West Virginia's totaled 7,200, including 900 workers in the wood products manufacturing industry who were displaced last year.

Workwear Giant Cintas set for India foray

Bangalore, July 30, 2008 (Economic Times) - The world's largest work-uniform and custom corporate-wear company Cintas is foraying into India, marking one of its most serious expansions outside North American market, sources said. The Nasdaq-listed $4-billion giant is scouting for top management resources and is expected to make Mumbai its local headquarters.

The development is expected to rev up the niche but increasingly attractive market segment for work uniforms, and comes at a time when some of India's leading garment companies have started eyeing this space. There are no large organized players in the domestic work uniform and corporate apparel segment at the moment.

An email query to the Ohio-based Cintas remained unanswered at the time of going to press.

India and China are estimated to be high growth markets for workwear, as this apparel segment in some of the Western markets has been witnessing lesser growth with many countries' industrial bases declining in recent years, according to reports. India's uniform market is estimated at around Rs 10,000 crore, but this figure includes the large base for student uniforms in the country.

The workwear market in India is also seen as an attractive option as order sizes are usually large, competition is not very high and the margins are good. The increasingly large base of MNC manufacturing hubs in the country has also buoyed the workwear segment. The uniform business would also provide a substantial hedge for India's top garment suppliers reeling under the impact of a slowdown.

"Companies are becoming more careful of their corporate images now and even the smallest of companies want uniforms. The largest demand is from industries that are involved in manufacturing sectors and hire a lot of workers on a contract basis. Even sectors like hospitality and retail are giving good demand. In India, however, this is a highly unorganized market, with most of the players located in the North and East," said Nimish Somaiya, CEO of Industrial Workwear, a company that specializes in industrial garments.

Founded in 1929, Cintas has over the years diversified into other business areas like first-aid products and fire protection equipment. The company operates over 400 facilities in US and Canada and employs more than 34,000 people.