Founded in 1984 by the Chamandy brothers in Canada, Gildan enjoys a reputation for being a leading T-shirt manufacturer—and we’re sure you know why. Distributors and decorators say Gildan offers the most versatile shirt options out there, since you can always find the color, style and comfort level you want in the company’s selection.
“By purchasing Gildan, or from any of our company-owned brands, consumers receive timeless wardrobe essentials that never go out of style, while supporting a company that cares for its people, conserves the environment and creates stronger communities”
– Summer Scott-Samuel, Senior Merchandising Manager for Gildan
High Ranks in Sustainability
In Photo: Biomass that will soon be converted into renewable energy, and used to power Gildan’s operations
Gildan is also a fan favorite because of its sustainable manufacturing processes and commitment to responsible practices. In fact, Gildan recently placed 32nd overall among The Wall Street Journal’s ranking of the Top 100 Most Sustainably Managed Companies in the world. Gildan was second among only three apparel companies included in this top 100 ranking and was also the only North American apparel company on the list. The apparel manufacturer also claimed the sixth spot among the top 10 global companies for innovation in its business model.
By this point, you’ve probably heard that we’ve gone solar, and now, thanks to fantastic new drone footage below, we can give you an even closer look at our entire nationwide network.
As we become more aware of our impact on the environment, it’s clear how much work we have ahead of us to become a more sustainable society. The first step toward change is often the most important, and that’s what this solar project is all about. As our company continues to expand throughout the United States and now Canada, we have an obligation to create new and innovative ways to do it responsibly.
This solar network is only the beginning of our ongoing push to become a more sustainable company, and we couldn’t be more excited about bringing it online.
Getting this project to completion was a monumental task made possible by the hard work and dedication of our management team and partners at Pure Point Energy.
“Bringing solar energy into our nationwide network is a wonderful opportunity to align operations with both our mission and values statement, which include sustainability objectives.”
Fall is right around the corner, which means, new 2021 styles are starting to flow into our inventory. We picked five collections and styles we’re really excited about, and put together some details about what they offer, and which markets they’d fit right into.
Adidas New “Floating 3 Stripe” Series
Adidas – Floating 3-Stripes Sport Shirt – A480
Adidas – Women’s Floating 3-Stripes Sport Shirt – A481
One of the things we love about these new styles is that it’s really a complete collection, filled with companion styles and accessories to match. Since adidas® is also one of the most sustainable companies in fashion, all of these new styles are made using 100% recycled polyester. There’s no better logo to co-brand your company with than the iconic three-stripes from adidas®, and this collection gives you a wide range of options to do just that.
Few brands can match Oakley’s attention to detail, and the new “Utility Bag Line” is no different. Offered in two colors, “Blackout” and “Rye,” the series is durable, stylish, and has no shortage of the functional space and utility pockets you’ll need for your trip to work or on your next adventure. Our backpack line is a favorite amongst sales organizations that want their team to be equipped with functionality, and these will make a great addition to those programs.
You’ve never been as enthusiastic about a hoodie, as you will be for this one. If you’ve already seen this on Shark Tank, you’re already pumped up about selling these to your clients. The Quikflip instantly makes traveling with a hoodie practical and purposeful. No one sells this product better than the owner and jiu-jitsu master, Rener Gracie, so we’ll let the video above do most of the talking. This is sure to become an instant favorite for the school and team market.
The ever-popular outdoor brand, Columbia, is bringing its casual sling pack to our collection, offering you a quick on and off option in a day pack. This is perfect for the new generation of workers, who just need a quick storage pack for their tech essentials, a water bottle, or maybe even their lunch. This should be especially popular with tech and marketing firms, where their design tools are housed at the office and employees just need a pack for their daily essentials.
Streetwear stills reigns supreme in the world of fashion and this new mesh cap should satisfy hypebeasts everywhere, with its minimalist texture and trendy muted color selection. It’s water-resistance also lends itself to being an exciting accessory for outdoor enthusiasts, who might be looking for something more modern. And, as a bonus feature, it can float on water.
As we all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and building businesses, it’s easy to forget about the impact we have on the world around us. With well over seven billion people populating our planet, every little thing we do in our daily routines almost certainly has an affect on the environment and we’ve taken notice of this at S&S Activewear.
Over the past few years, we’ve started to put forth an enormous effort to become more sustainable in our daily operations. Within the past three decades, we’ve been lucky enough to expand our company reach to 6 locations (Robbinsville, NJ; McDonuough, GA; Lockport, IL; Olathe, KS; Fort Worth, TX; and Reno, NV) nationwide, and with great expansion comes great responsibility.
Taking Action
That’s why we started a major initiative to install solar panels on our facilities across the country. With the help of our local officials and dedicated staff, we’ve been able to turn 5 of our warehouses into a renewable energy source for our surrounding communities, most recently being our newest 750k sq. ft. LEED certified warehouse in Lockport, IL. This facility is our most sustainable building yet and we went to great lengths to make sure it lived up to strict environmental standards.
Companywide, we’ve installed water refilling stations where possible, placed recycling stations across our office spaces and reuse packing boxes to reduce cardboard waste.
End Users Are Watching
What does this mean for you? End users are also becoming way more focused on the practices of businesses they buy from, so operating responsibility should be any company’s top priority. “There’s no question consumers across all end markets expect their supply chains to be more environmentally focused,” says our COO, Frank Myers. A new generation of buyers means that people are more focused on knowing their hard earned dollars are being spent on something they know was made, distributed and sold responsibly.
Make An Imprint
The changes we’ve started to make within our company come from an inspiration to help preserve our environment for future generations to come and we invite you to join us and explore new ways you too can operate more sustainably. Together we can “Make An Imprint” that’ll inspire others to help keep our planet healthy for all who follow us.
During times like these, you’d think that buying t-shirts is the last thing on anyone’s mind, but now they’re more valuable than ever. Using InkSoft’s fundraising feature, decorators around the country have started creating fundraising campaign sites, to help support local businesses and keep their shops running.
These campaign sites are loaded up with t-shirts, each being decorated with the logo of local businesses, from around town. People can then find their favorite restaurant or shop’s tee on the site, and when they buy one, part of the proceeds will go directly to that business. It’s a win win for everyone, that’s turned into a major movement all around the industry, known as #HereForGood.
Shirt Kong, located just outside of the St. Louis area, first heard about this idea from the shop that started it all, Tiny Little Monster. Soon after that, they put together a fundraising site of their own, and $10 from each sale went directly to a business in St. Louis.
Originally known as the “Knickerbocker Knitting Company,” the inventors of the classic reverse-knit weave have come a long way since their birth in 1919. For decades, Champion has been outfitting top athletes, military, students and fans worldwide with the iconic “C” logo. Their commitment to long-lasting quality and focus on teams, rather than individual superstars has helped them experience a longevity and resurgence, not many apparel companies get to enjoy. In celebration of their, now 100 years in the business, here are 3 things you should know about how Champion has impacted all of us.
1. The Reverse Weave changed everything, but what exactly is it?
1938 Reverse Weave Patent
Since Champion was a major supplier of tees and sweatshirts to sports teams around the country, when coaches started to complain about shrinkage in their uniforms, the company came to the rescue and invented the reverse weave knit in 1934. Simply put, to help the garment maintain its shape and fight shrinkage, the grain of the sweatshirt fabric was made to run sideways instead of vertically (like most apparel) and side panels were added in for additional reinforcement. Since then, modifications were made to give the fabric a greater stretch, and an even better fit.
Every distributor has their list of favorite brands to use for those simple, everyday orders on a budget, and Alternative is ready to be one of them, with their new “Go-To Collection.” So, why should you be excited about this? Because, it was created specifically for YOU, the distributor.
Lower Prices? Tell Me More.
“The Go-To Collection was developed as a response to growing customer requests for lower pricing and more colors in their favorite, best-selling styles,” says Kevin Miles, Sr. Marketing Manager at Alternative Apparel. “With the buying power of our parent company, Hanes, we were able to negotiate lower prices with our vendors, without changing anything about the garments. The best part is that Alternative is giving that savings directly back to the customer, through the Go-To Collection. Everything in the collection is still the same quality and softness.“
Within the past decade, lots of major corporations have launched efforts to become more environmentally responsible. However, there are very few, who have gone as far as adidas has gone to develop an extremely broad and comprehensive sustainability program, both internally and externally. Here’s a quick look at why you can feel good about buying adidas’ products.
Reducing plastic waste has been a big initiative for adidas over the past few years. Since 2016, adidas retail stores no longer use plastic bags. In 2018, they reduced plastic waste in their offices, retail stores, warehouses and distribution centers worldwide by OVER 40 TONS, and then replaced it with sustainable solutions. And if that wasn’t enough, in 2019, the company plans on producing 11 MILLION PAIRSOF SHOES containing recycled ocean plastic – up from 5 million pairs produced in 2018.
In February 2019, we’re CHANGING THE GAME with our brand new 800K square foot warehouse in Reno, NV. The new facility will have a SKU profile unlike anything our industry has ever seen, carrying 30% more SKU’s, 3x more inventory, and 1-day shipping to the entire west coast. We’ve been growing since 1989, with expansions to California, New Jersey, Kansas, Texas and Georgia, and this is by far our biggest yet.
Throughout our growth, we’ve always been innovators at heart, trying to find new creative ways of moving the needle forward. But for now, let’s take a look backward and pay homage to some of the pioneers, who’ve helped our industry evolve over the years. Ever hear of Jasper Meek, Lawrence Herbert, or Michael Vasilantone? If you love promotional products, have to color match everyday, and screen print tons of orders, then these should be household names for you.
Owners Jeff Adams and Paul Rohr take a stroll down memory lane, and tell the story of how S&S became the company it is today. “It’s fun to see how we have grown into 6 locations and what we started from,” says Rohr. See photos showing of the beginnings of S&S and hear how the owners developed a company culture you know and love to work with. “We wanted people that we’re coming to work Monday, charged up; ready to go, and happy about their environment,” says Adams.
Special thanks to all the loyal customers and vendors who have supported us over the years! Without you, S&S wouldn’t be where it is today, and this story wouldn’t be possible.
