Posted December 6, 2017

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – A huge void exists between brands/retailers and the U.S. supply chain, and that’s a tough challenge as the movement continues to bring back textile and apparel manufacturing to American shores.

Will Duncan acknowledged as much during SEAMS’ recent Fall Networking Conference here, but resolutely declared that he, along with his executive leadership and membership, is ready to tackle this challenge. He recently became the new executive director of the 50-year-old association when his firm, Will Duncan & Associates (WDA), was elected by its board to manage the group after a stellar two decades of leadership by Sarah Friedman. Read review of conference here.)

Speaking to attendees of the conference, he elucidated a big, bold MADE IN AMERICA vision and growth agenda for the organization, which not unintentionally coincides with the launch of a newly revamped website and visual brand identity. The website, he said, provides quick and easy access to essential information for the resurgence and growth of made-in-America initiatives. And its new tagline – “The Association and Voice for the U.S. Sewn Products Industry” – clearly indicates the temerity of the association’s aspirations, as explained by SEAMS’ new marketing partner, Jerry Inman of NYC-based Demand Worldwide. That is, being the “voice” is a valiant undertaking when others are also vying for that position.

But where there’s a Will …

“We want to strengthen the impact of MADE IN AMERICA in today’s global economy,” he said. “We strive to be the most relevant force and voice shaping the growth of the U.S. fashion, sewn products and textile industries.”

He pointed out that the technical textiles and industrial fabrics sectors are doing well, with new product offerings emerging every day. However, he added, the biggest sector of them all, mainstream apparel, is still facing many of the same challenges it’s faced for years regarding its domestic supply chain.

“The bottom line is that brands and retailers continue to source product based on lowest-landed duty cost,” Duncan said. “They do not factor in product performance at retail. Without factoring in markdowns and stock-outs and all other hidden costs of doing business around the globe, it is extremely difficult for a domestic supply chain to compete.

“However,” he continued, “there are some brands and retailers out there that understand this and would like to try and source domestically. The problem is they simply do not know how to do it. It’s not just their cost structure, it’s their entire sourcing infrastructure that is set up for offshore sourcing. Most of them do not have the skills, talent or knowledge of the domestic industry to do it. They may be able to find a cut-and-sew guy to produce for them, but it’s more than just that. They have to be able to put together an entire supply chain and they don’t have the talent or more importantly the patience to do that.”

Enter SEAMS and its focus on helping shrink the size of that void, he said.

“While Donald (Trump) is building a wall, we will be tearing down a wall and building a bridge – a bridge between brands and retailers and the U.S. domestic sewn products supply chain,” he said. “SEAMS will become that bridge. We want SEAMS to be the go-to place for all things related to MADE IN AMERICA for the sewn products industry.”

And that’s easier said than done, Duncan noted. But he has plans to make this happen by: collaborating and partnering, expanding SEAMS’ sphere of influence and improving the value of membership, he said.

“I’ve always believed it is better to partner than to compete,” he said. “There are a number of other industry organizations that want to work with SEAMS that would allow us to leverage their capabilities. We are currently in discussions with several of them that would provide much greater exposure for our membership.”

By “expanding its sphere of influence,” he explained that the association is not recognized or represented in many parts of the country. To wit: With more than 200 member companies, 90 are from the Carolinas and Georgia. And there are 24 states with no SEAMS’ members – so opportunities exist, he noted.

These areas have businesses that are in textiles, cut-and-sew and technical providers that fall within our core membership sectors,” he said. “They currently do not participate or in many cases don’t know about us. We also want to significantly improve our presence and awareness within the brand and retail sectors. Going forward, if they don’t use us, it won’t be because they don’t know about us.”

He outlined many of the ways SEAMS is increasing its exposure through its presence at trade shows, conferences and other outreach methods. And its marketing efforts via the new website and other means are also helping to spread the word, he added. (The hiring of Inman, who works closely with many retailers and brands and lives in the heart of the domestic fashion/advertising world, appears to be a homerun in that endeavor, by the way.)

Much time and work lay ahead for Duncan and SEAMS, but he appears poised to cast a wider net and raise the association’s clout in order to become that “voice” he seeks for a reshoring sewn products industry.

“We ARE going to build this bridge,” he concluded. “So you, as a member of this domestic supply chain, better be ready. And, from what I’ve seen there is still significant work to be done in many of the companies I visit to be prepared to support the brands and retailers, as they are going to need to be supported. If you are not, you are going to miss the boat. Also, you can’t do it by working in a silo. We have complete supply chains within the SEAMS membership for certain product sectors. And, there is a lot of business that is done between members. But it is typically informal and not structured.

“Moving forward,” he continued, “we need to form strategic supply chain alliances within the given product sectors where these partnered supply chains are ready made – even to the point where pricing and profit-sharing is predetermined for the partners within the supply chain. Then when the brands and retailers open the gate on the other side of the bridge we are ready and waiting for them.”