Liz Young of The Wall Street Journal reports that Ferrara Manufacturing’s growing customer list signals that apparel brands are interested in moving production back to the U.S. Young writes:
On a recent morning at a factory in Queens, dozens of workers sat in rows at clattering sewing machines, heads down as they stitched garments ranging from camel-colored cashmere coats to navy-blue jackets for the U.S. military.
For years, Ferrara Manufacturing had slowed production of high-end garments and leaned on its military business as many American consumer brands moved production overseas. But demand for apparel made in the U.S. has been picking up more recently, and sites like Ferrara’s plant 2 miles from Midtown Manhattan are getting busier and hiring workers.
The rising hum of the machinery cutting, stitching and moving clothing at the site is one sign that the global forces of geopolitics and nearshoring of supply chains are reaching an industrial corner of New York City that had grown quiet over the years. More apparel brands are signing contracts with the New York-based garment manufacturer for private-label clothing as part of an effort to shore up their supply chains and cash in on consumer demand for goods made in America.
Ferrara Manufacturing says its revenue is on track to increase 10% in 2024 and more than 30% in 2025 off the new private-label contracts it has signed this year. […]
Apparel retailers are “shifting the mindset of what you’re paying for as a brand,” Joseph Ferrara said. “You’re not just paying for the item, but you’re paying for the story behind the item.”
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