The Uniformer

Mark Smith is the President of LION Americas, which serves the personal protective equipment, uniform and logistics needs for fire departments and law enforcement agencies, emergency services and military markets. In this episode we talk about how the needs of these first responders have evolved, as well as where innovation will come from in the coming years. Mark stresses the importance LION places on customer intimacy, listening, and focusing at all time on delivering whatever has been promised. He relates how the LION culture values, and even insists, on hearing all voices. And he speaks about how lucky we all are to be in an industry with a mission to help those who protect us every day.

For more information, visit: http://lionprotects.com

For more info about the NAUMD visit: https://naumd.com

Rhiannon McMahan is the Sales and Operations Manager at Midsouth Solutions. She is a passionate leader driving herself and her team with a "can and will do" attitude. Together with host Jeff Mason, they discuss specific ways Midsouth is recruiting and retaining employees which allows them to be fully staffed. The pair talk about the growing importance of technology in driving business and customer service. Plus, the importance of not just delivering the product you promised but making sure the customer feels cared for and truly taken care of. Offering uniforms, screen printing, promotional products and more, the company is a full-service distributor.

For more information, visit: http://midsouthsolutions.net/

For more info about the NAUMD visit: https://naumd.com

Charles Wang is the Chief Operating Officer for Winnitex. He has an extensive background in workwear textiles and apparel manufacturing. The company has factories in China, Vietnam, and Central America, making their service attractive to North American workwear brands. For example, Winnitex helps solve the problems of sourcing cotton and other materials from different regions, making consistency difficult. Host Jeff Mason and Charles talk about how workwear companies can get it right. Testing at every phase of the production process is critical to a quality product. Comfort, performance, stretch, and even fashion components are discussed. The talk dives into the need for additional innovation in the workwear market, and for more people to understand all the mechanics of textiles.

For more information, visit: https://www.winnitex.com/

For more info about the NAUMD visit: https://naumd.com

Jeff Mason is the owner of North59, LLC, a sales and marketing agency representing various public safety and outdoor brands. He has worked at Oxford Industries and Propper International. Over his career, he has also developed a well-respected approach to the customer experience. His company SimpleBiz360 has a mission is to assist companies with identifying and implementing simple business principles that improve the customer experience. His background for this service spans 32 companies in nine different industries, offering customized workshops and immersive consulting programs. This podcast discusses what a focus on the customer experience in the uniform industry means, and how to improve it. Jeff is also now a guest host of The Uniformer and midstream he turns the conversation around, asking NAUMD host Rick Levine questions about how he came to be at the NAUMD and where the network association is headed.

For more information, visit:

https://simplebiz360.com/

https://north59outdoors.com/

For more info about the NAUMD visit: https://naumd.com

Enzo Cancellieri is the Vice President at GAME Sportswear & Workwear. He is an experienced and passionate executive of workwear, outerwear, and safety apparel. Together with host Jeff Mason, the conversation dives into customer service and thoughts on accommodating the needs of long-time customers. Game is adept at understanding the importance of listening and responding to both the market and customer requirements for special projects. Enzo also shares the dynamics of working with his wife Andrea Cancellieri, the President of the company. The pair represent the best of what it means to have a family business.

More info at: https://www.gamesportswear.com

For more info about the NAUMD visit: https://naumd.com

Jill Coleman is the Vice President Of Business Development Alvanon, Inc, a global innovations company that helps apparel brands improve their fit to reflect modern-day consumers. Jill's background with Alvanon and years at Avery Dennison give her a rich perspective on how we as an industry are handling a number of processes related to sizing, supply chain, and production of uniform garments. She discusses how we can think about roles, and how every participant fits into the final product. An important message from Jill is her encouragement that we open our rigidity and approach decisions, allowing for fresh perspectives to inform us.

More info at: https://alvanon.com/

For more info about the NAUMD visit: https://naumd.com

Andrew Ashcroft is the International Business Development Manager for Carrington Textiles, a global workwear textiles manufacturer with factories in Asia and Europe, producing over 130 million metres per year. Andrew has worked with a number of brands, including uniforms, on strategies for opening markets and selling in the Middle East, Africa, India, and now North America. He talks with us about sustainability initiatives, workwear buying influences, global sourcing, manufacturing, and more.

More info at: https://www.carrington.co.uk/

For more info about the NAUMD visit: https://naumd.com

Louise Becart is a Business Strategy Analyst at Pincroft Dying & Finishing. Louise is relentless in her pursuit of improving processes and eliminating waste. Pincroft is part of the Carrington Textile group. The company is involved in the preparation of fabrics worn by the military in a number of countries, textiles for corporate uniform programs, and much more. The conversation gets modestly technical about color, offers insights into the project management process for dying and finishing, and even calls up the concept of an "invisibility cloak".

More info at: https://pincroft.co.uk/

For more info about the NAUMD visit: https://naumd.com

Bob Getto is the President & CEO at Fechheimer - a Berkshire Hathaway company, makers of the Flying Cross & Vertx brands. Bob is a leader within the public safety and military uniform markets. For the past 15 years, he has been at the helm of the 180-year-old Fechheimer company. We talk about current events in the world and industry. We discuss how to show up for all of your company stakeholders. We discuss the $100 million dollar US Army contract Fechheimer delivered during the recent pandemic. And we are inspired by Bob's positive, dedicated, matter-of-fact perspective.

More info at: https://www.fechheimer.com/

For more info about the NAUMD visit: https://naumd.com

Tom Wheeler is the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Martex Fibers, a leading textile recycling company. He has held the CEO role at the former uniform  Fashionaire, at Special Markets Group and Bitwell Clothing for Hartmarx, at Wormser Apparel, and at Wigwam Mills. His knowledge of custom image apparel production, textiles, and uniform program management is extensive. Listen as we discuss historic trends in the industry, current recycling data, and what the future may look like for both.

More info at: https://www.martexfiber.com/

For more info about the NAUMD visit: https://naumd.com