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Thursday, March 28, 2024

More Can Be Better

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+I have been struggling for some months with baggy triceps, a ballooning bosom, burgeoning waistline, bulbous buttocks, and blossoming thighs. What to do, what to do…

At last, I have unwittingly joined the millions in our society who classify themselves as "plus." It's a whole new world: A kind of confirming nod we give to one another in passing, that not unlike pregnancy or having grey hair, reveals a secret society. We're all part of a certain bunch: Big beautiful women, and yes, men too (although it doesn't seem to faze them as much, if at all).  

Anyone who is in the custom uniform business, tailoring, or alterations, is used to the steady trickle of folks who require a special fit – not infrequently because of oversize. Once in a while, my father would jokingly say that he would need to get a pattern from Omar the Tentmaker.

Lately, however, it's been one plus size after another, and sometimes entire orders. Recently, a group of Midwesterners ordered 60 polo shirts – half 2XL and half 4XL – all with 8" added to the length to cover the fronts and rears of strong, hearty farmhands who wear size 58 pants.

Men are weighing in like cattle, and the women are right there with them. This spring, alone, we had two different orders for military and fire personnel, where the gals had 67" waists. Waists! Image the chests and the seats.

We had a call for a size 72 coat from a Shriner. Another gent requested that we come to his house to measure and fit some jumpsuits, because he couldn't squeeze his way out the door to come to us. There's a cavalry order going out where the average frock coat for the battalion is a 48Long.

I'm not trying to make fun or ridicule. Rather, I'm pointing out where a significant portion of our population's sizing is headed. Just as so many of our manufacturers of ready-to-wear have, of late, instituted petites and very small sizes to suit a particular frame, they've also gone to bigger and bigger sizing in order to accommodate both men and women in the workplace.

Uniform veteran opens own shop in North Brunswick

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At Brunswick Uniform Supply, it's Karen Levine-Pedone's job to outfit Central Jersey residents for their jobs."You have someone just coming in for a pair...

River’s End Welcomes Mike Jamieson as Midwest Sales Rep

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Rivers End Trading Company announces that Mike Jamieson has joined the company as the new Regional Sales Representative for Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska....

Wilhelm’s Stand: Labor Will Rebuild Middle Class

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John Wilhelm was dispatched to Las Vegas in 1987 to salvage a casino workers union rattled by devastating losses.The Culinary Union was debilitated by...

Looking Back, and Forward, as Hamburger Woolen Company Turns 70

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Ilene Hamburger RosenIn 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.

Industry Veteran Joins MAGIC Marketplace as VP of Menswear

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Advanstar Communications Inc. today announced the appointment of Jon Kapelson as vice president of menswear at MAGIC International - the world's most influential and...

It Can Be Done – Working as a Part of a...

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We Can Do It!"I like to be part of a team," says Karen Donavon. "I don't want to do it all on my own," The feisty 67 year-old takes time from her job to perch on a tall stool, and tells what it's like to be a part of "the back of the house." The apparel business relies on thousands and thousands of people like Karen. Some do one or two tasks; others are multiply trained and find themselves to be rarer than hen's teeth in an industry that treasures them.

Gary Schultz, president of Edwards Garment Company, offered Karen a job on the spot when he met her, and asked her if she wanted to move to Kalamazoo. "I've got only three like you, and one is about to leave!" he wailed. Jest or no, the longtime multi-taskers are hard to find.

Whether larger corporations like Edwards, small manufacturers, or distributors, all of us need the folks who are the backbone of our industry. The more talented they are, the more quickly they rise to the top. But there are also those whose "top" is about doing their jobs well, no matter how great or how small. Karen is the perfect example.

She was raised on a 160 acre farm in Illinois, and learned from day one how important it was to do her work well; survival depended on it. She learned the value of producing something that benefitted her own family, and helped others at the same time. "Uniforms are the same as my Daddy's crops, or Mommy's grapevine in her garden," Karen recalls. "When I work, I feel important because I know that I'm helping to make clothing that makes people feel proud. I know that while I'm earning a salary and keeping busy, others are going to be looking mighty nice in the special outfits we do for them. What could be a better job?"

Jack Mitchell: Hug Your Customers and Employees

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Tossing any sexual harassment complications aside, Jack Mitchell, chief executive officer of Mitchells, the high-end clothier of Westport, CT, believes the key to success...

Leroy Burgess: Business was a proud achievement

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Like the products manufactured by his Detroit company, Leroy Burgess built a reputation based upon reliability, durability and style.A retired Detroit city worker and...

Profiles in Entrepreneurs: Mike Wiesner

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Mike WeisnerMike Wiesner has been in business for almost 30 years, yet he is only 45. "I like success," he grins. "Money is only one aspect. What I really enjoy is the thrill of business: The wonderful combination of strategic thinking, logic, and relationships. Most successful people can put all of this together, but it's easier said than done. You have to have good relationships with your customers and your employees, and you have to pay attention to detail."

Having just sold multi-million dollar Connecticut-based Heidi's Uniform Group, Mike, his wife, and three children have recently re-located in Israel. He commutes back and forth. Armed with more communication devices than NASA, this man seldom operates fewer than two companies at one time, takes note of his investments, has his nose in the financial pages, and still manages to be a very involved citizen/philanthropist, as well as husband/father. His secret for energy is simple: He loves what he does.

Born in small town Trumbull, Connecticut, Mike was not your typical kid, even though that's how his folks, Sid and Evelyn, raised his sister, Andrea, and him. In high school, he was ahead of his peers by as many as four years, taking his biology and psychology courses with college credits. Whether it was geographical proximity to New York, his uncle who had a business in junior fashions and novelties, his dad who was in retail and always wanted his own store, or whether it was just Mike, who can say?

But by the time he was a teenager, he was reading every financial paper he could lay his hands on, loved courses in economics—especially mergers & acquisitions—and at 16 when he ended up at the flea market, he thought that business was "pretty cool." His first attempt was visiting garage sales, buying up old stuff and re-selling it at the market. He saw what he could do, and he was just beginning.