Origin has tapped Under Armour Co-Founder Kip Fulks as a full-time strategic advisor and partner.
“I used to be part of the problem,” explained Fulks about his new role, “and now I can be part of the solution.” Recalling his earlier days with foreign suppliers, Fulks aims to share lessons learned in business with Pete Roberts, founder and CEO at Origin, who he believes is leading an important change in the apparel industry with a return to corporate responsibility.
Origin said it is committed to American manufacturing with a domestic supply chain and workforce.
According to Roberts, it comes down to consumerism, a cost-benefit analysis, and American communities. “We start with people—from the American farmer who grows the cotton to the communities where we operate our cut and sew factories, and all the way through to the end consumer—explained Roberts, who wants consumers to know that their purchase means more. “We want them to know that wearing Origin jeans or apparel is not just the latest fashion trend, it represents American jobs, innovation, craftsmanship, and a return to pride in ‘Made in the USA.'”
Origin was founded by Roberts in 2012 with friends and family in Maine. Despite most companies importing from China or Pakistan, he spearheaded a renaissance of manufacturing and committed that Origin would be built by American workers using an American supply chain.
As Origin grew, abandoned equipment, not used in over 30 years, was reclaimed and made functional to produce new products. When the pandemic highlighted the need for American-made products and supply chains, Origin doubled its workforce to meet demand, invested in two factories and a workforce in North Carolina and revived the last remaining denim manufacturing plant and washhouse in the U.S. with production and staffing.
Origin manufactures all-American performance textiles and durable goods, including workwear and clothing, denim, boots, fitness gear, and hunting apparel.
