July 9, 2025 • 7 mins
In this episode, Mo and Mark delve into the complexities of supply chain disruptions affecting the custom apparel industry. They explore the challenges of raw material shortages, increased shipping costs, and innovative solutions to overcome these hurdles. Tune in for expert insights and real-world stories from the front lines.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Okay, let's just cut to the chase here.
(00:02):
COVID-19 shattered supply chains-justright to the core.
I mean, we're talking material shortages,
shipping disruptions, even factoriesshutting down thanks to government
mandates.
It was, uh-it was chaos for anyone tryingto keep a custom apparel business
afloat.
Yeah, exactly.
(00:22):
And it wasn't just the closures.
It was the ripple effect.
Ports were backed up for miles,
containers were stuck halfway across theworld.
And if you could even get your hands onmaterials and consumable supplies,
transportation budgets basically shotthrough the roof.
You know, people were scrambling just tokeep production moving.
And everything
(00:43):
was slower-like, painfully slow.
Orders that used to take, what,
a week, were taking months?
It was unbelievable.
I mean, honestly?
There was this one order I still remember.
It was right after thegovernment-mandated shutdowns in
Pennsylvania.
The client wanted a rush job-exceptnothing was rushing back then.
Leed times just snowballed out ofcontrol.
Okay,
(01:07):
so what'd you do?
Pull off some kind of miracle?
Ha,
not quite.
We shifted focus to new product printinglike PPE and other items.
What made the difference was just stayingcompletely transparent with
the client from the start.
I walked them through every singledetail-like why materials were delayed,
(01:28):
how we couldn't predict shipping times.
They didn't love to hear it, but theyappreciated that I wasn't sugarcoating
anything.
That's huge.
People respect honesty more than falsepromises,
you know?
Exactly.
By the time we finally got their orderout,
they stuck with us-not because theprocess was smooth,
but because they trusted we were beingupfront the entire time.
(01:51):
You can not under deliver and not comethru when promised.
See,
that's the kind of thing people don'ttalk about enough-the power of,
like, old-school direct communicationwhen everything else is falling
apart.
Yeah, it's become more important thanever in situations like that.
But the challenges weren't just aboutdelays and communication-it forced
(02:14):
us to really rethink how we sourcealtogether.
So,
Mark, you mentioned rethinking how wesource-let's dig into that.
How are businesses actually pivoting?
What's the game plan to survive in thischaos?
Well,
for starters, it's about being proactiverather than reactive.
The companies that weathered this stormare the ones that doubled down
(02:37):
on planning.
Sales forecasting has become crucial.
Using tech to anticipate demand andmanage inventory?
It's a lifesaver.
We upgraded all of our equipment andfocused on updating some automation.
Okay,
but let's talk grassroots for a sec.
What if you don't have some fancyforecasting software?
How do you adapt then?
You diversify your suppliers.
(02:59):
That's the key.
Relying on one or two major suppliers-itjust doesn't work anymore.
You need to spread out the risk.
Work with smaller,niche suppliers who-well,
they might be more expensive,but they're more reliable in a crunch.
You update equipment to more efficient &faster print speeds.
Smaller?
Like boutique suppliers?
Exactly.
(03:21):
A few smaller suppliers can sometimesoutperform one massive one.
Sure, they're not gonna have the scale,
but when push comes to shove,they can pivot faster.
It's about agility now,not just cost savings.
Usually smaller production facilties andquick and more willing to be
(03:42):
more responsive.
So shifting focus-less about saving abuck,
more about staying in the game.
Makes sense.
Yeah,and it's not just about suppliers either.
It's looking at your whole operation.
Can you switch gears quickly if somethinggoes wrong?
That kind of flexibility is what'skeeping businesses alive today.
Like
(04:03):
being able to adapt on the fly.
You're saying agility isn't just abuzzword anymore-it's survival.
Exactly.
Think of it as building resilience intoevery part of your process.
Those companies who did that?
They're the ones still standing.
The ones that didn't unfortunately didn'tmake it.
Right,
so building resilience into every part ofyour process-it really comes
(04:26):
down to one thing, doesn't it?
Flexibility.
If your operation isn't designed to pivot,
you're basically setting yourself up forfailure.
Exactly.
Flexibility isn't just a perkanymore-it's a must and necessity.
And not just in production,but in how you handle order fulfillment.
(04:47):
You have to be able to adapt whenmaterials suddenly aren't available
or when timelines get squeezedunexpectedly.
Right,
but here's the thing-flexibility's notjust about what happens behind
the scenes.
It's also about what you say to customers,
you know?
Like, laying it all out for them,
not sugarcoating delays or issues.
Yeah,
(05:10):
transparency is huge.
Customers may not like hearing theirorder is gonna take an extra week,
but if you're upfront about it,
they're way more likely to stick with you.
It builds trust long-term.
Trust is crucial to success,I can not stress this enough.
Totally.
People just wanna know they're not beingleft in the dark.
It's like,even if you screw up-you own it,
(05:31):
they respect that.
And that respect can turn into loyalty.
Especially now, with so much uncertainty.
A little honesty can go a long way inseparating you from competitors.
So,
looking ahead, what's next for the customapparel industry?
Are we gonna see, like,a full tech takeover?
AI picking designs?
(05:53):
Robots printing t-shirts overnight?
Maybe not robots printing t-shirts
just yet.
But I think automation will keep growingin terms of simplifying the
production process.
And then there's sustainability-that'sgonna be a big deal moving forward.
Sustainability,
huh?
You're saying "eco-friendly" isn't just abuzzword anymore?
Exactly.
(06:15):
Customers are starting to demand it.
Whether it's recycled materials orlow-waste production methods,
businesses that invest in sustainablepractices are gonna have a competitive
edge.
Lets face it, people care about theenvironment with everything going
on.
Alright, so future success comes down totwo things: stay flexible,
(06:35):
and stay green.
Oh, and communicate like your lifedepends on it-because,
honestly, it kind of does.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Flexibility, communication, transparency,
and sustainability-they're the quad-fectafor thriving in this industry.
And
if you're listening right now thinking,
"Where do I start?"-go check outcontract-dtg.
com.
(06:59):
Seriously, Mark's team knows their shirt.
Appreciate the plug,
Mo.
Of course!
On that note, that's all for today.
Always a pleasure.
Till next time,and thanks for listening as always!
Okay, let's just cut to the chase here.
(00:02):
COVID-19 shattered supply chains-justright to the core.
I mean, we're talking material shortages,
shipping disruptions, even factoriesshutting down thanks to government
mandates.
It was, uh-it was chaos for anyone tryingto keep a custom apparel business
afloat.
Yeah, exactly.
(00:22):
And it wasn't just the closures.
It was the ripple effect.
Ports were backed up for miles,
containers were stuck halfway across theworld.
And if you could even get your hands onmaterials and consumable supplies,
transportation budgets basically shotthrough the roof.
You know, people were scrambling just tokeep production moving.
And everything
(00:43):
was slower-like, painfully slow.
Orders that used to take, what,
a week, were taking months?
It was unbelievable.
I mean, honestly?
There was this one order I still remember.
It was right after thegovernment-mandated shutdowns in
Pennsylvania.
The client wanted a rush job-exceptnothing was rushing back then.
Leed times just snowballed out ofcontrol.
Okay,
(01:07):
so what'd you do?
Pull off some kind of miracle?
Ha,
not quite.
We shifted focus to new product printinglike PPE and other items.
What made the difference was just stayingcompletely transparent with
the client from the start.
I walked them through every singledetail-like why materials were delayed,
(01:28):
how we couldn't predict shipping times.
They didn't love to hear it, but theyappreciated that I wasn't sugarcoating
anything.
That's huge.
People respect honesty more than falsepromises,
you know?
Exactly.
By the time we finally got their orderout,
they stuck with us-not because theprocess was smooth,
but because they trusted we were beingupfront the entire time.
(01:51):
You can not under deliver and not comethru when promised.
See,
that's the kind of thing people don'ttalk about enough-the power of,
like, old-school direct communicationwhen everything else is falling
apart.
Yeah, it's become more important thanever in situations like that.
But the challenges weren't just aboutdelays and communication-it forced
(02:14):
us to really rethink how we sourcealtogether.
So,
Mark, you mentioned rethinking how wesource-let's dig into that.
How are businesses actually pivoting?
What's the game plan to survive in thischaos?
Well,
for starters, it's about being proactiverather than reactive.
The companies that weathered this stormare the ones that doubled down
(02:37):
on planning.
Sales forecasting has become crucial.
Using tech to anticipate demand andmanage inventory?
It's a lifesaver.
We upgraded all of our equipment andfocused on updating some automation.
Okay,
but let's talk grassroots for a sec.
What if you don't have some fancyforecasting software?
How do you adapt then?
You diversify your suppliers.
(02:59):
That's the key.
Relying on one or two major suppliers-itjust doesn't work anymore.
You need to spread out the risk.
Work with smaller,niche suppliers who-well,
they might be more expensive,but they're more reliable in a crunch.
You update equipment to more efficient &faster print speeds.
Smaller?
Like boutique suppliers?
Exactly.
(03:21):
A few smaller suppliers can sometimesoutperform one massive one.
Sure, they're not gonna have the scale,
but when push comes to shove,they can pivot faster.
It's about agility now,not just cost savings.
Usually smaller production facilties andquick and more willing to be
(03:42):
more responsive.
So shifting focus-less about saving abuck,
more about staying in the game.
Makes sense.
Yeah,and it's not just about suppliers either.
It's looking at your whole operation.
Can you switch gears quickly if somethinggoes wrong?
That kind of flexibility is what'skeeping businesses alive today.
Like
(04:03):
being able to adapt on the fly.
You're saying agility isn't just abuzzword anymore-it's survival.
Exactly.
Think of it as building resilience intoevery part of your process.
Those companies who did that?
They're the ones still standing.
The ones that didn't unfortunately didn'tmake it.
Right,
so building resilience into every part ofyour process-it really comes
(04:26):
down to one thing, doesn't it?
Flexibility.
If your operation isn't designed to pivot,
you're basically setting yourself up forfailure.
Exactly.
Flexibility isn't just a perkanymore-it's a must and necessity.
And not just in production,but in how you handle order fulfillment.
(04:47):
You have to be able to adapt whenmaterials suddenly aren't available
or when timelines get squeezedunexpectedly.
Right,
but here's the thing-flexibility's notjust about what happens behind
the scenes.
It's also about what you say to customers,
you know?
Like, laying it all out for them,
not sugarcoating delays or issues.
Yeah,
(05:10):
transparency is huge.
Customers may not like hearing theirorder is gonna take an extra week,
but if you're upfront about it,
they're way more likely to stick with you.
It builds trust long-term.
Trust is crucial to success,I can not stress this enough.
Totally.
People just wanna know they're not beingleft in the dark.
It's like,even if you screw up-you own it,
(05:31):
they respect that.
And that respect can turn into loyalty.
Especially now, with so much uncertainty.
A little honesty can go a long way inseparating you from competitors.
So,
looking ahead, what's next for the customapparel industry?
Are we gonna see, like,a full tech takeover?
AI picking designs?
(05:53):
Robots printing t-shirts overnight?
Maybe not robots printing t-shirts
just yet.
But I think automation will keep growingin terms of simplifying the
production process.
And then there's sustainability-that'sgonna be a big deal moving forward.
Sustainability,
huh?
You're saying "eco-friendly" isn't just abuzzword anymore?
Exactly.
(06:15):
Customers are starting to demand it.
Whether it's recycled materials orlow-waste production methods,
businesses that invest in sustainablepractices are gonna have a competitive
edge.
Lets face it, people care about theenvironment with everything going
on.
Alright, so future success comes down totwo things: stay flexible,
(06:35):
and stay green.
Oh, and communicate like your lifedepends on it-because,
honestly, it kind of does.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Flexibility, communication, transparency,
and sustainability-they're the quad-fectafor thriving in this industry.
And
if you're listening right now thinking,
"Where do I start?"-go check outcontract-dtg.
com.
(06:59):
Seriously, Mark's team knows their shirt.
Appreciate the plug,
Mo.
Of course!
On that note, that's all for today.
Always a pleasure.
Till next time,and thanks for listening as always!
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