Colorado-based sports apparel company, Epix Gear, has announced the re-shoring of its apparel production with the opening of a Made in the USA facility in Tempe, Arizona.
The newly-established venture – named Race Rabbit Manufacturing – will produce a full range of Epix custom-designed apparel, including triathlon, cycling, and running styles.
“Epix has produced in China since 2009,” said Jarek Barc, President at Epix Gear. “We made the decision to move production back to the US as the business landscape has changed and US production is now a good choice for small, niche manufacturers,
“Through moving our production, we are supporting new jobs and growth in the local economy. It’s a move that resonates with our clients.”
Citing challenges within the current Covid-19 pandemic, he continued, “The crisis has been tough on us and many of our clients. The lack of races means lack of interest for racing apparel as well as coaching, gear, and everything else related to the sport.
“So it’s been financially difficult, but we’ve tried to turn the excess capacity and time into something positive by re-vamping the entire product line and making major improvements.
“We’ve been able to keep the US production going by spending on this new development and product samples as well as some new retail roll-outs. The end result is faster lead times, better products, and a more efficient system that allows us to do things like reduce order minimums – all of which are focused on creating greater choice and flexibility for our customers.”
Barc added “US manufacturing is cost competitive for a specific product range and requirements. When it comes to custom-designed performance sports apparel in small or even individual order quantities, we’ve found that there is no longer a relevant cost advantage to offshore production.”
Epix Gear is a family-owned and operated brand that creates custom-designed apparel for teams, coaches, events, universities, organizations, as well as individual athletes. The Race Rabbit facility imports only raw materials for production, such as fabrics and trims, mostly from Italy. All assembly is done in-house with fully-integrated sublimation printing, laser cutting, stitching and packaging.
“The new facility is specifically designed for the new custom apparel landscape. Our US production will allow unparalleled flexibility and speed,” said Barc.
He continued, “With our partnership with Race Rabbit, Epix can expand its ability to offer an even more personalized experience, with customization options on retail apparel, tailored fit, and a production view that will allow customers to see photos and videos of their product as it’s being created, not to mention shorter lead times and a quicker response.”
He added, “This transparency in production is especially unique. The production space has always been considered a ‘black box’ because brands didn’t want to showcase where their products were made. We’ve had a very positive response from customers when they see the work, technology, and attention to details that goes into making their apparel. We are excited to open this new chapter.”
Epix notes that almost 8 in 10 American consumers say they would rather buy an American-made product than an imported one, according to a Consumer Reports survey. And more than 60% say they’re even willing to pay 10% more for it.
Epix added that the US government has recently urged US companies to move out of China and reshore jobs, though the vast majority of those who have moved out of China did not reshore manufacturing to the US and instead moved to a different offshore sourcing country.
