The benefits of local manufacturing are already coming in handy in an uncertain environment. When westernwear brand Filson launched a “Made in USA” page on its site in March, it saw an immediate spike in sales for that selection. So far this month, four of the top ten highest-selling styles were made in the US, said Tim Bantle, Filson’s president. The company, which produces more than 30 percent of its products in the US at several factories, reopened a manufacturing facility in its Seattle headquarters where it currently produces three of its styles but will increase that number to six by the end of the year, Bantle added.
Brands that don’t make all of their products in the US have also started bringing more elements of their supply chain back home. Accessories maker Ghurka, for instance, has historically made around 90 percent of its leather bags, which retail for as much as $2,995, in boutique factories in the States, while producing its wine and watch cases in Italy. But last September, the brand started producing its wine cases in a factory in New York where it can better monitor quality control and save on freight costs and duties, said Robert Williams, Ghurka’s president.
Still, Ghurka doesn’t plan to move its entire supply chain back to the US anytime soon as the situation around tariffs continues to unfold, Williams added.
“We’re not being reactionary,” Williams said. “We’re in a pretty good position compared to 99 percent of the brands in the world.”
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