SEATTLE—SanMar Corporation debuts a new line of wearables from OGIO, with eight industry-exclusive styles.

FARGO, N.D.—Heat Transfer Warehouse announces its opening. Located in Fargo, N.D. HTW is national supplier and wholesaler of cad-cutⁱ heat-transfer and printable material for garment decoration.

CHICAGO—R.S. Owens is honored with the PPAI Supplier Star Award, the company’s first. Recipients are selected based on the greatest number of votes by distributor principles, managers, salespeople and support staff.

Before the New England Patriots broke tradition by introducing all 45 players as a team rather than individuals prior to Super Bowl XXXVI, the cliché there’s no “I” in team was the most ironic statement one could make about professional sports. Joe Montana was The 49ers, just as sure as “The Fridge” was the Chicago Bears and The Broncos were always John Elway’s.  -Read more-

Technology has presented the promotional-apparel industry with what might be the “greatest thing” since . . . well, since the machine that slices bread: the digital direct-to-substrate printer. It was an instant hit when first introduced at trade shows several years ago, and its popularity has grown steadily since.

Perhaps the technology’s greatest appeal is the opportunity it presents to expand a business in such simple ways. It allows the screen printer to produce short runs, enables embroiderers to offer printed shirts at reasonable price points, and increases the offerings of specialty shops and advertising-specialty distributors. All such things equal added business opportunity.

The word on the street is . . . our economy is suffering. Duh! People are cutting back and many embroiderers are worried that any level of recession will cause their corporate customers to expand the definition of what they deem “non-essential.” A bleak picture? Yes, but not without silver linings.

An embroiderer lives in two worlds. On one handⁱ we are the buyer and are looking for bargains: the best shipping, just-in-time inventory control, and not a lot of pre-buying and storing of essentials such as backing, thread, needles and so on. On the other hand, we are the seller, and our clients are looking for the best prices in order to continue to use our services.

Of the many embellishment methods suitable for athletic apparel, cad-cutⁱ materials and looks combining them with embroidery can often meet the need for both durability and a nice appearance.

Embroidery needs an extra dollop of care when athletics are involved. Some uniforms stretch, some are thick, and all need embroidery or other decorating methods that will last. At the best of times (during the pre-game program) we want it to look good; at the worst of times (sliding into home) we want it to wear well.

In a good building, a strong foundation is essential to the viability of the entire structure; the broader and sturdier the base, the better the building. Likewise in a business. As is true of most apparel decorators, you probably started out with a single discipline—no doubt embroidery or screen printing. You spent time learning the ins and outs of the process and the business, to build a good, solid—though not particularly broad—footing.