“It took us five to six years before we could end our contract knitting and sell 100 percent of what we made to retailers,” Marty Nester said.

 

Nester Hosiery began operations in an old grocery store with just 25 employees and gradually moved into larger facilities. It currently operates in two buildings that were former sock mills. The company, which employs about 195, is now a thriving manufacturer. Growth has been rapid and the company now produces 7.5 million pairs of socks annually.

 

The made-in-the-U.S. aspect of the company’s socks has helped boost sales through the years as consumers and retailers sought more American-made products. About three years ago, Nester Hosiery took it a step further with the launch of its “Farm to Feet” sock brand.

 

“It’s working well,” Marty Nester said. “We are now in more than 60 retail stores that cover 40 states. “We are a U.S. company and teamed up with U.S. suppliers of all the raw materials. It’s a 100 percent U.S. recipe. It took us awhile to get there with not only the yarns, but also the packing, dyes and every aspect.”

 

The Farm to Feet supply chain begins with American Sheep Industry (ASI) ranchers, a federation of 45 state sheep associations representing more than 82,000 sheep producers throughout the U.S. Using ASI wool ensures that Farm to Feet socks are made of U.S.-produced merino wool.

 

The wool first goes to the Chargeurs Wool USA facility in Jamestown, S.C. From there, the wool top is trucked about 140 miles north to Burlington Industries’ spinning and finishing plant in Raeford, N.C., where it is spun and dyed. It is then shipped about 150 miles northwest to Nester Hosiery in Mt. Airy, N.C., where the company produces Farm to Feet socks from the wool yarn.

 

Socks are either 100 percent wool or wool blended with small percentages of nylon and Spandex, both made in the U.S. The American-made supply chain continues with a packaging company and a manufacturer of point-of-purchase displays, both made in North Carolina. Even the inks in the packaging are U.S.-made.

 

Sustainability is a major focus for Nester Hosiery, which began measuring its efforts in waste reduction in 2009. The company said it is now recycling 85 percent of the waste that used to go into a landfill. Water use has been reduced by 40 percent. New air compressors and energy-efficient finishing equipment have allowed the company to trim its energy costs.

 

“It is something we are proud of,” Marty Nester said. “We try to keep involved in all aspects of sustainability and with our suppliers as well.”

 

The sustainability aspect of the company’s operations plays well with many of its customers in the outdoor industry. These retailers include Patagonia, who touts the Nester Hosiery sustainability story on its website.

 

Looking at the company’s challenges, Marty Nester said the biggest hurdle is inventory control. This includes both raw materials and socks.

 

“There is such a long lead time when you are dealing with wool yarns,” he said. “All of our yarns are dyed before they are knit and we have to put together a plan based on forecasts and orders. It’s a challenge keeping the plan up to date.”

 

Business is strong for Nester Hosiery and its founder said he believes that pace will continue for the foreseeable future.

 

“We are ahead of our 2014 goals in terms of sales, revenue and inventory control,” he said. “Looking into 2015, everything we hear from our retailers is positive. We are looking at least 10 percent annual growth this year and the same for 2015.”