Jim Barber, of toy maker Luke’s Toy Factory, said that he is contacted “every couple of months” by businesses wanting to move their manufacturing back to the United States. “There are plenty of people that can do these things,” said Barber, whose company is named after his son Luke.
Hundreds of thousands of textile jobs disappeared after China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 and export quotas were lifted.
In 1999, “we used to have seven factories making goods for us,” Liquori recalled.
“Every one of those factories is gone today,” he said, adding that the closures had forced him to find new suppliers through the Americas Apparel Producers Network (AAPN).
Far from the world of “fast fashion,” Goodwear has found its niche in offering quality products at “a reasonable price,” Liquori said, noting that the company’s T-shirts, which start at $36, can last for more than two decades.
“We’ve had some customers for 25 and 30 years, and so the loyalty, the level of trust, if you will, for deliveries and quality, all those things keep a relationship healthy,” he said.
“As long as we’re doing the right thing, we’re going to get the business.”
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