Latest news with #Bayard
Business Insider
04-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
A made-in-America apparel brand describes how Walmart helped it produce a more affordable US flag T-shirt
Check the tags on much of the American flag-themed apparel being worn this Independence Day weekend, and the country of origin may be somewhere other than the US. Making stuff overseas is typically cheaper, after all. That doesn't sit well with Bayard Winthrop, the founder of California-based apparel brand American Giant. "We can think of a lot of other mainstream brands or retailers that certainly don't abide by that for Fourth of July — or for any other thing," he told Business Insider. Bayard founded American Giant in 2011 with the mission of revitalizing US textile manufacturing, starting with what it dubbed "the greatest hoodie ever made." In recent years, the company celebrated Independence Day with a version of the iconic American flag T-shirt made entirely in the US. But Bayard said it was a challenge to achieve the kinds of production efficiencies that can lower costs. American factories can produce high-quality clothing, but it often comes at a premium price. For example, American Giant's website lists this year's US flag tee for $65. Bayard said the reasons for this include finer yarns and a more labor-intensive sewing process. "Those products are premium," he said. "They're optimized for top, top quality." About two years ago, Walmart approached him with a challenge to produce a made-in-US T-shirt at the retail giant's famously low prices. This was part of what is now a $350 billion commitment to invest in sourcing products that support American jobs until 2030. At the time, Bayard thought that the lowest possible price for an American-made shirt would have been $20 and that it would be "incredibly difficult" to make. The companies were able to make a shirt that is now available online and across roughly 1,500 Walmart stores for $12.98 — one-fifth of the price of the top-of-the-line version. American Giant developed a design that lowered costs by using a slightly thicker yarn and a tubular-knit pattern, rather than the side-sewn style of his main shirts, Bayard said. "But the vastly more important part of the costing is when you have Walmart and the volumes that they put there — which are huge — and staying committed to the program for an extended period of time," he said. Bayard stands firmly behind the quality of the less expensive Walmart product. "We think we're putting great quality stuff into the market, and we're offering these different entry points for customers," he said. Bayard said the first design for Walmart, released last year, exceeded sales expectations and was expanded to include four styles this year. The episode highlights one of the major hurdles to bringing back US manufacturing more broadly. The costs of starting (or restarting) industrial production can be both daunting and inefficient. (Look no further than the complicated and expensive process one team had to go through to make a grill scrubber entirely in the US.) If the effort to revive US manufacturing is going to succeed, Bayard said that small and large companies need to work together with sustained, long-term commitments that help the supply chain develop and become more cost-effective. "Poking at the problem with your 500-unit volumes" is "admirable," he said. "But if you actually want to make an impact, get serious about it and figure out ways to join forces with somebody like Walmart that's actually trying to do something good."
Epoch Times
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
The Uncertain Origin of America's Favorite Pastime
William Bayard Sr. had lost his lot. The wealthy New York merchant had been part of the Stamp Act Congress of 1765 and even joined the Sons of Liberty. But the push for independence was too much, and Bayard sided with the Loyalists in 1776. For this, his lands across the Hudson River from Manhattan were confiscated. With the War for Independence over, Bayard's confiscated property was auctioned off in 1784. John Stevens by an unidentified artist, circa 1830, oil on canvas, from the National Portrait Gallery. Public Domain
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
GR museum director: Juneteenth ‘catalyst' for awareness, equality
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — As Juneteenth approaches, George A. Bayard III, executive director and curator of the Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives, says the holiday can drive meaningful awareness, particularly in underrepresented fields like STEM. Bayard said Juneteenth encourages deeper exploration into overlooked contributions of African Americans in science and technology, many of whom hailed from Michigan. 'We learn things every day here at the museum that we didn't know,' he said. 'It's amazing how many people we should know about but don't.' He also reflected on the delayed enforcement of emancipation in Texas, where enslaved people remained unaware of their freedom long after the Emancipation Proclamation. Bayard said some slaveholders withheld the news for personal gain. 'Most of them, I assume, were greedy,' he said. 'They probably knew, but didn't feel obligated to tell their people.' List: Juneteenth events in West Michigan 2025 Bayard noted that General Order No. 3, delivered by Union General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas, went further than the Emancipation Proclamation by declaring former slaves equal. 'That's not in the Emancipation Proclamation,' he said. Amid rising criticism of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, Bayard urged communities to protect Juneteenth's legacy by recognizing its broader significance. 'It's not just an African-American event,' he said. 'It's overwhelmingly an American thing.' He encouraged individuals to research, ask questions, and view Juneteenth as part of the nation's collective history. 'The answers are there. You just have to do a little digging,' Bayard said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
14-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Pennsylvania chocolatier explains why your chocolate bunnies might be pricier this Easter
A chocolatier in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, said environmental factors are leading to higher chocolate prices, which means beloved Easter candies and treats might be pricier this year. "Some of them are solid and some of them are hollow," Kimberly Pietrak, owner of Skips Candy Corner in Peddler's Village, said."We started going to more hollow recently, only because of the cost of chocolate." Pietrak said that the chocolatier produces thousands of chocolate rabbits, carrots, eggs and dark chocolate–covered pretzels every year — the perfect ingredients for Easter baskets. Many chocolatiers are wrapping up their busy season, scrambling to deliver perfectly molded chocolates. But Pietrak said it's become challenging over the past year. "If you read the ingredients and you don't see cocoa butter, it's not real chocolate," Pietrak warned customers. She said many chocolate makers have been forced to cut corners due to the surge in cocoa. Al Bayard started working in the family business about three years ago, just as chocolate prices were rising. "We went from 19 cents an ounce to 40 cents an ounce," he said. But why the price change? Bayard said that adverse weather conditions and dying crops in West Africa, the world's largest cocoa-producing region, are creating a global shortage. "We try not to hurt our customers, but we can't keep taking the hits," Bayard said. Pietrak said when her father, Skip, a retired firefighter, started the business in 1993, he would have never imagined a day when buying chocolate would become a luxury. "My father had a passion for chocolate," Pietrak said. "Years ago, my father would mold [chocolate] with the metal molds." They've been forced to use plastic molds to lessen imperfections and waste. As third-generation chocolatiers, Pietrak said the sweetest moments are still getting those special deliveries out in time for Easter.
