Impressions - January 2013 - (Page 63)

Sustainability is high on the list of priorities at Proformance. It was one of the first screen printers to offer both 100% phthalate-free, formaldehyde-free inks and 100% PVC-free inks, according to CEO Kevin Longfellow. This is the ink technology of the future, so the firm’s executives say they feel they are on the cutting edge of sustainable ink technology. Proformance has kept its focus primarily on the action sports industry, as package programs still are relevant for the apparel brands that are prevalent in that niche. T-shirts and fleece are not the primary apparel choices of most action sports companies, making great customer service even more important to the company’s success. producing, shipping, and selling these Tshirt and fleece programs. That is where we come in and take the producing and shipping away from our customers, saving them time and money in the long run.” Financing these programs also is a big part of the Proformance model. This benefit frees up dollars for customers, which can assist brands in growing and managing their businesses better. “At the end of the day, we are not only taking on a lot of the burden that comes with offering and selling T-shirts and fleece, but we also are helping our customers finance those programs,” Longfellow says. “That is a win-win for our customers. This model has always worked for most action sports companies, and it will continue to work into the future.” Even with a solid business model, a great deal of the company’s success has come from an ability to form solid, longstanding relationships with customers, Longfellow says. The company’s largest client is VF Corp., a Greensboro, N.C.based branded lifestyle apparel company. “[Relationships are] an absolute must in our industry,” he says. “We want to know and understand our customers as well as they know and understand themselves.” As with any thriving company, the whole is only as good as the sum of its parts. Proformance has a highly successful team that Longfellow says includes everyone from himself and Sawyer, to print shop and warehouse employees — and everyone in between. impressionsmag.com “Everyone here takes pride in what we do and contributes to [our] success,” he says. “I can never say enough about my account managers. I have four highly talented and dedicated account managers who really are the core of our business and what we do.” ADDRESSING INDUSTRY ISSUES Sustainability is high on the list of priorities at Proformance. Longfellow points out a growing responsibility for all companies — across all industries — to pursue such a goal. “Our main emphasis [for becoming more sustainable] has been with our cleaning and screen printing chemicals, as well as our inks,” he says. “Proformance was one of the first screen printers to offer both 100% phthalate-free and formaldehyde-free inks. We also are one of the first printers to offer and use 100% PVC-free inks. This is the ink technology of the future, so we really feel we are on the cutting edge of sustainable ink technology by being one of the first to offer this product.” With the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) creating major implications for apparel decorators, compliance is important. Longfellow believes regulations will only strengthen in the future. “We realized early on that as a screen printer, we must be proactive with this to protect not only ourselves, but our customers as well,” he says. “We have worked very closely with our T-shirt and fleece suppliers on this issue. Luckily for us, we have always been very concerned with the sustainability of our factory and the products we produce. This gets you halfway home to being in compliance with the CPSIA legislation…since we have rid our factory of unsafe inks and chemicals, the transition has been fairly easy.” Proformance not only prepared for the legislation, but also educated customers on what it ultimately meant. In addition to adherence to CPSIA legislation, Longfellow says several issues currently face the industry, from toughening compliance requirements and regulations, to the ever-turbulent economy. “At the end of the day, retail drives our business,” he says. “Along with the economy, pricing will continue to be an issue. Between the garment manufacturers, the screen printers, the brands and retail, only so much can be squeezed out. The more retailers continue to push back on prices, the harder everyone below them in the production chain gets squeezed. “But, this is all part of doing business,” he adds. “We surmount all of these issues by continuing to be the best in the industry at what we do. If we can be the best at what we do and be efficient at doing it, then everything else will take care of itself.” Jennifer A. Morrell is an award-winning writer who has written for a number of national consumer and trade publications. For more information or to comment on this article, email Jennifer at jennmorrell@hotmail.com. January 2013 | Impressions 63 http://www.impressionsmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - January 2013

Impressions - January 2013
Table of Contents
First Impressions
From the Show Director
FYI
Product Gallery
ISS Conference
Sharing the Spotlight
Tracking Today's T-Shirt Trends
Tees: Tried and True
How to Shop a Trade Show
Shop Spotlight
Embroidery Production
Screen Printing Technique
Digital Decorating
Online Directory
Business to Business
Classifieds
Ad Index

Impressions - January 2013