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June 2009
 | June 2009 |
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People
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Written by Deb Hindlemann Webster
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Friday, 29 May 2009 10:14 |
 In seven months, Hamburger will celebrate its 70th anniversary. There are over 600 internet sites that refer to it. Multiple articles have been written, and numerous websites mention its capacity, capabilities, and far-reaching influence in the garment industry—not only in the United States, but throughout the world. Not bad when one stops to think about these precarious economic times! Not only is it still in business, but with the strength and determination of its owners and loyal co-workers, Hamburger remains a revered name. "We're a wonderful company," Ilene Hamburger Rosen says confidently. "We advocate for each and every one of our buyers, and we bend over backward for them."
In addition to its primary focus, which is fabric distribution, Hamburger also maintains its division of police equipment—HWC Police Equipment Company—which has been in existence for 30+ years. Between the two areas, a strong and healthy future is the clear forecast.
Ilene is the president of the family-owned firm. "These are not the best of times, but they're not the worst of times. You can't look back," she insists pragmatically. "Sure, I liked it better when it was easy and fun. But now, everything has changed. You just go forward and do your best."
Irving Hamburger founded the company January 1, 1940. Originally, he worked for the American Woolen Company; there were no synthetics or polyesters in those days. Uniforms were made of 100% wool. He saw that while large manufacturers could purchase hundreds to thousands of yards, there was no way that the little guy could manage to either afford or warehouse the huge quantities that were mandated by such mills as American Woolen, J.P. Stevens, and many others. Astutely, Irving decided to become a distributor of these goods, by buying up large 600-800 yard pieces. He warehoused them himself, cut them up, and re-sold them to smaller manufacturers on an "on demand" basis. "We bought, sold, cut, and shipped," says Ilene. "Our fast 24 hour delivery service is what really got us going. We earned a reputation for prompt shipping and superb customer service, continuing that same practice for both divisions, today."
Irving initially had two backers, then bought them out as the company quickly took off. It became a family affair, with cousins, brothers-in-law, brothers, and eventually his sons. "He supported everyone," marvels Ilene.
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Last Updated on Friday, 29 May 2009 10:37 |
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Economy
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Written by Joseph Greco, MSOD
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Friday, 29 May 2009 10:08 |
 What can be more valuable than taking what we have learned during our past and invest those lessons into our future? We have either already paid the price of learning from our own mistakes or reading about the successes of others. The word 'radical' comes from the Latin for getting back to the roots. Take a regular radical step and examine your roots by asking the question: "what business am I in?"
With the stresses of the current economic environment, now may be a good time to test some assumptions. Inertia is an extremely powerful force and can be a negative one if you are static. For our second foreign word today is 'risk' which comes from the Italian riscare which means to dare which implies a choice and not a fate. We make overarching strategic choices rarely and tactical choices almost every hour. When is the last time you reviewed or updated your business plan? Are the choices you are making or the risks you are taking in concert with achieving the goals set forth by your strategic plans? If things aren't going the way you like them to, wake up!
There are at least four responses to dealing with risk: You can avoid it, reduce it, transfer it or accept it. But you need to manage it by your awareness and the choices you make. Has the marketplace around you changed? Are clients requiring different products, services or technology? Maybe you need to go with the flow and reorganize your resources to delivery according to the current demands of your clients instead of trying to do business by your traditional methods and practices.
For example, as I attract new prospective clients, I have recently found that many are not ready for prime time manufacturing. Most are starting their businesses with some innovative ideas or creative improvements on products currently available in the marketplace. With all these new ideas coming my way I have signed more Non Disclosure Agreements in the past six months than I have in the last ten years. It amazes me how many people want to get started in some form of the apparel business. My challenge has been that I could not charge for my services in the traditional method of manufacturing products and marking up on the costs. The start-ups simply and rightfully do not commence with large enough volumes of merchandise to defray the costs of doing business.
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Last Updated on Monday, 17 August 2009 19:33 |
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Companies
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Written by Jackie Rosselli
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Friday, 29 May 2009 14:20 |
 Over the last two decades, much of the growth experienced in the uniform industry has come about horizontally; that is, companies have generally bought out their competitors.
Vertical growth or integration has been much more complicated, primarily due to outsourcing and globalization. The dictionary defines the vertical integration of a company as "relating to or involving all stages from production to sale," an industry rarity for certain.
But there are a handful of truly vertical uniform companies out there, and for them, the model provides a competitive advantage, giving these businesses greater control over the supply source and a higher certainty that the end result – the finished product -- will be quality and top notch.
"Handful," might actually be an overstatement. "I know of only one other company with all USA manufacturing who does what we do, and they're out on the west coast," says Harry Candland, president of Phoenix Textiles and Apparel, the only vertical UniformMarket was able to find.
Located in Middlebourne, West Virginia, Phoenix Textiles and Apparel is a 35,000 square foot facility with approximately 40 employees. For the most part, it operates as a one stop shop in a world that is increasingly segmented and specialized. "The yarn comes in one door and out the other as a finished product. We buy raw yarn, knit it into greige goods, then dye, cut and sew," continues Candland. "We don't pay someone to do things for us."
As a result, customers save big on shipping and manufacturing costs, and turnaround time is reduced. Delivery is generally 3-4 days on small orders, ten days on orders of 5,000 units or better. And with over 100 embroidery heads on site, costs are further reduced. "We're competitive because we're vertical," notes Candland. "We have good knitters and an experienced staff which is hard to come by these days."
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Last Updated on Monday, 01 June 2009 10:47 |
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