Ibex Outdoor Clothing filled the last gap in its U.S. farm-to-finished garment supply chain by agreeing to buy merino wool from a family owned and operated sheep ranch in Montana.
The supply agreement will enable Ibex to make its Fall 2012 line of 21-micron wool Shak Lite garments entirely with U.S. resources.
After searching the country for the highest quality wool, Ibex landed at the Lehfeldt family ranch in Lavina, MT. For more than 100 years, three generations of the Lehfeldt family have raised Rambouillet sheep, a breed known for its ultra fine wool. In addition to raising and caring for their sheep, the Lehfeldts are stewards of their land in the tiny town of Lavina. Tradition, heritage and a genuine devotion to their sheep and commitment to the land led Ibex to select the Lehfeldts’ Rambouillet wool for its best-selling Shak Lite garments.
From Montana, the wool travels to a top making facility in South Carolina where it is combed and scoured. From there, it’s sent to North Carolina where the wool is spun into yarn and knit into fabric.
From North Carolina, the wool is sent to Ibex’s factories in the Bay Area of northern California where it is cut and sewn into finished garments. Earlier this year, Ibex opened a west coast office to oversee production and manufacturing at the company’s factories in and around the Bay Area.
“The impact of being able to expand our U.S. production to encompass our entire supply chain means that we can be more hands on in every process along the way from the farm to the finished garment,” said John Fernsell, founder and CEO of Ibex. “And ultimately, that means higher quality garments,” he noted.
“Having our production in the U.S. means that we are developing relationships with our suppliers, and working closely with our cutters and sewers,” Fernsell explains. “For many of these manufacturers, we represent about 90-percent of their business,” Fernsell noted. “Our products are fabric-rich, not labor-rich, and we want quality, consistency, with well-trained cutters and sewers so for us, chasing cheap labor doesn’t make sense. It’s also important to our customers that we are mostly made in the USA. People are becoming more vocal about where their products are manufactured,” he adds.
Looking forward, Fernsell expects to continue to source wool from the U.S. and build on Ibex’s ‘field to fabrication’ program. “This is really important and a priority for us,” he said.
To see the Lehfeldt family farm in Montana and hear from the farmers directly, check out the video Ibex Goes to Montana an American Tale at www.ibex.com/montana.
