Pic: Allied Feather
Allied Feather + Down, supplier of high quality, ethically sourced down insulation to the bedding, fashion and outdoor industries is continuing a localised growth strategy even as COVID rages on. With new facilities in Vietnam, Myanmar, Czech Republic, and now, Canada, Allied is better positioned to remain consistent in the face of global disruptions.
As the world was shutting down and retailers were cancelling orders amid COVID, Allied continued moving forward with the opening of its latest facility in Montreal, Canada, understanding the need for strategically located facilities, and capping off a period of expansion over the last two years that includes new facilities in Vietnam, Myanmar, Czech Republic and now, Canada.
“We found that by expanding into strategic regions, we could better serve our partners by offering materials from local supply chains with the service and quality needed by the largest brands. This type of supply chain, we realised, could also provide products faster and with less impact on the planet and with the highest levels of traceability. This is a regional approach to a global supply chain that adds flexibility with an emphasis on localisation, and is part of the reason Allied was able to get back up to speed quickly after the COVID-triggered global shutdown. Not one of Allied’s partners saw any supply disruption from our end,” Daniel Uretsky, president of Los Angeles-based Allied said in a press release.
As a global company with regional down sourcing and processing capabilities, investing in new facilities even while others are scaling back positions Allied perfectly to weather a wide range of supply chain disruptions, including the COVID-19 global pandemic and other potentially devastating future viruses.
Before the pandemic, as partners, retail and direct-to-consumer bedding demand expanded, Allied looked closely at its global footprint and how expansion could actually decrease overall carbon emissions. The result led to the opening of several new facilities worldwide, cementing facilities in Kamyk, Czech Republic; Vietnam; Myanmar; Montreal; and building now in North Carolina.
Opening a facility in Kamyk allowed Allied to produce high quality bedding for the European market while collecting and processing European down. Processing and shipping from Czech Republic to European manufacturers now reduces the need for down to be collected in Europe, shipped to the US, and shipped either back to Europe or to China.
Allied’s down processing facility in Vietnam specifically allows them to better serve the Korean and Japanese domestic markets with the same high quality down and shorter lead times. The supplier also uncovered a significant traceable duck down supply chain in the same region to help bring more income to local communities. Myanmar has helped Allied bring more visibility, transparency and traceability into the textile supply chain while increasing production significantly. And the latest facility in Montreal helps Allied serve large Canadian partners and retailers with Canadian-sourced and produced goods.
“We were already building the supply chain of the future with our focus on sustainability, transparency and traceability. We are simply doubling down on that effort for the sake of the future of our company, those companies that rely on us, and for those local communities we are a part of. Working with local supply chains and production on three continents allows us to pivot so even in the time of crisis, our partners can rest assured knowing that not only will there be no disruptions, but we will be there for those in need to do our part to make a safer, more inclusive and generally better planet,” Uretsky said.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)
Allied Feather + Down, supplier of high quality, ethically sourced down insulation to the bedding, fashion and outdoor industries is continuing a localised growth strategy even as COVID rages on. With new facilities in Vietnam, Myanmar, Czech Republic, and now, Canada, Allied is better positioned to remain consistent in the face of global disruptions.