01/27/17 Ben Waxman - American Roots
Posted by Jake Bourdeau
Justin Lamontagne introduced our speaker, Ben Waxman of American Roots (AR) to Portland Rotary on Friday.
Ben Waxman is an owner and co-founder of the Portland, Maine-based company. AR was founded in 2015 and produces 100% American-made textile and apparel, and they specialize primarily in business-to-business sales and to a lesser extent, commercial sales. Ben is a Portland native, third-generation textile worker, and he started AR with his fiance, Whitney Reynolds, after a 16-year career with organized labor at the national AFL-CIO.His dream was to launch a company that would make clothing with 100% American-made materials and create good paying jobs in his home town. After discussing the business plans with family, suppliers, and others prior to digging in, Ben and Whitney were determined to bring this incredible industry, which essentially disappeared in the United States, back to life. With a focus on sales, workforce development, and a significant public relations background, Ben and Whitney, along with their other team members, have worked tirelessly to expand the American Roots name in its first year.
AR worked with Coastal Enterprises, The Salvation Army, and some grant money to start a paid-employee training program to prepare applicants for work at their company. Ben and Whitney then encouraged their employees to organize and join a union. The employees selected the steel workers union, which is the same union that is represented in many of the local paper mills.
Their business plan seems to be working since American Roots, and their 12 organized employees, manufactured and sold over 10,000 individual units in their first year. Their production for 2017 is expanding to an estimated sales of 25,000 units which will sell largely to AR’s national business customers.
In addition to growing sales, AR is expanding their apparel line from fleece vests, zip pullovers, hats, scarves,and blankets to include cotton polos and pullovers. Expect more growth and products from AR in the years to come.
Visit their site for more information: www.americanrootswear.com/
(Photo: Justin Lamontagne, Ben Waxman, and President Laura Young.)