The Relationships, Innovation, & Data That Drives FORLOH’s “Made in America”

When FORLOH founder and CEO Andy Techmanski built his company around the American supply chain, he did it because he wanted “Made in America” to be about more than just manufacturing premium outdoor apparel with features and technology no other company can offer.  

“We’re 100% sourced and manufactured in the United States, because we said we would be, and because we do what we say and say what we do,” Technmanski said. “Because of that, we’re able to create jobs, develop the most innovative technical apparel on the market, and build relationships that matter right here in America.”

FORLOH’s American supply chain model makes every step of the product life cycle, from conception to distribution, happen at a pace that’s impossible in overseas-based supply chains. Feedback and design adjustments can happen in real time, and are as simple as a phone call or midday email to your manufacturing partners. A process that would normally take months and years for development, production, and shipping, can be reduced to a matter of days or weeks. That’s possible only because of the relationships that are built within an American supply chain.

The numbers support it, too. According to FORLOH COO Robert Yturri, a typical outdoor apparel manufacturer could have parts and elements from up to 10 different countries, with a turnaround time of up to two years for new product developments. Thanks to its American supply chain, FORLOH was able to cut that to six months.

“A 300% reduction in development time is unheard of,” Yturri said. “The only reason that’s possible is because of our partners and suppliers throughout America. Knowing that they’re always within reach, opens up a whole new world of possibilities.”

Still, it takes more than a phone call to make a supply chain run that efficiently. Items need to be shipped and orders need to be fulfilled. Yturri explained that FORLOH’s max shipping routes from their Montana headquarters never exceed 2300 miles, with suppliers and partners throughout the country contributing along the way. Comparatively, major companies that manufacture their products overseas face more than 7500 miles of shipping and logistics, spread across multiple continents.

Above all, “Made in America is possible because of the more than 60 organizations and companies around the country that work with FORLOH. The commitment to “Made in America'' has created thousands of jobs, and everyone, from FORLOH executives to manufacturing specialists, are invested in being part of it.

Because that matters to people.

“People absolutely love it,” said James Dodkin, Director of Marketing for FORLOH. “Our customers, our employees, they love being part of the ‘Made in America’ sourcing initiative, because they’re like us: Made in America, and made to embrace the endless possibilities that come with it.”