Challenges and Benefits of Made in the USA Manufacturing: A Study of Small Business Owners
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The first national meeting of textile and clothing professors took place in Madison, Wisconsin in June 1959. With a mission to advance excellence in education, scholarship and innovation, and their global applications, the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) is a professional and educational association of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education.
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Investigating current companies and entrepreneurs who practice United States-based manufacturing and/or production is an area of study that can provide direction for future market growth. The purpose of this study is to investigate the manufacturers who produce their products through US production. This study targeted the owners of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and employed Brush's (1992) integrative model to explore the SME owners. Challenges and benefits experienced by a small sample of producers within the Made in the USA apparel sector were identified. Through domestic production, study respondents could have close oversight and strong relationships with supply chain participants, which may result in a more responsibly produced product. Production based in the US can also support smaller production runs, a more sustainable option for newer apparel brands and those that target a smaller market.