BLDR Podcast - What "USA Made" Means to Us

You see lots of companies touting “USA Made”. Here at Tobacco, we are extremely proud of our products built in downtown Los Angeles.

Many people make assumptions about quality based on country of origin. They see something is USA made and think it’s the best. And made in China is the worst.

As we’ve grown and expanded our product line we’ve also expanded our supply chain. Because we will always stand behind our products, each item is carefully designed in LA and taken to trustworthy manufacturers who we’ve actually met.

From the beginning we’ve always sourced the best materials from all over the world. From Cone Mills and Japanese Selvedge Denim to genuine Dupont Kevlar. Our line has always required attention to detail, no matter where it’s from.

All our protective apparel has always been 100% made in the USA. Your riding shirts, vests, jeans, and jackets are hand cut, sewn, and finished in Los Angeles - thanks to the legacy of denim manufacturers that still call this city home. But, the industry here has its limitations as well...

In this episode of the podcast we get into how we find the best materials and craftsmen in the world to deliver the style and quality you expect from Tobacco Motorwear.

​If you care about how and who is behind our sweet ass gear, you're gonna want to give this episode a listen:

Here's some of our best advice for anyone looking to start their own clothing brand:

• The exact steps we follow to find the highest quality US suppliers (and what we do when they don't exist).
• Why the fall of American Apparel completely changed the garment district in LA.
• How importing has helped us create 2 new US jobs this year.
• Why I traveled to Vietnam, Mexico, and China to find the best suppliers for our gear.
• The two things we look for in a partner (no matter where they're located).

Our whole episode is live on all these podcast sites now:

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As Tobacco and Pack Animal have grown, we’ve been able to create great, American jobs in design, marketing, and logistics. We’ve also supported more and more local factories by ordering thousands of locally-produced pieces each year.

When we do use foreign factories, we get to know them personally, and ensure that they are ethical and up to producing the quality required by Pack Animal and Tobacco.

We have never outsourced a single job to another country. In fact, thanks to our growing product lines, we were even able to add 2 employees to our roster, in the middle of a pandemic.

I am extremely proud of our company and our products. Some companies make nothing in the USA, others make the bulk of their products overseas. We make most of our products here and only choose to import items that are simply done better elsewhere.

​Here’s to many more years of bringing you the best moto products, made in the USA and anywhere awesomeness can happen.

Stay tuned,

Dave and Andrew