ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Executives from SanMar and VF Imagewear, maker of Red Kap® brand apparel, announced in a letter to customers last week that their companies “will team up to serve the industry” beginning in 2013.
SanMar supplies apparel and accessories to industrial launderers, screen printers, embroiderers and others. Apparel manufacturer VF Imagewear has an array of several well-known brands, including Red Kap.
In their letter, Marty Lott, founder and CEO of SanMar, and Jim Tewmey, senior vice president of sales of VF Imagewear, used the term “collaboration.”
“Red Kap has great brand recognition, over 85 years of experience in workwear Done Right™ and a commitment to durable, reliable industrial laundry (IL) products,” the men wrote. “By adding Red Kap to its portfolio, SanMar can now offer customers the best brand in industrial workwear, coupled with the SanMar strengths of inventory depth, distribution and service.”
When asked to elaborate, a SanMar spokesman said a broader press release would be issued early next year.
Starting in January, 10 Red Kap items—including IL shirts, jackets, pants and shorts—will begin phasing into SanMar's inventory. The items will replace SanMar's CornerStone styles, but product names, specifications and style numbers will remain the same for a smooth transition. SanMar remains committed to the CornerStone brand by offering more than 30 other products, according to Lott and Tewmey.
“We look forward to working together to best serve the workwear needs of the logoed apparel and IL industries,” the men wrote.
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