Entitled ‘Reshoring and Economic Recovery’, the October 17-18 SPESA Executive Conference will feature presentations and discussions from industry leaders, association and government officials on the most important issues, trends and legislation facing sewn products retailers, brands, and suppliers.
The Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas will hold its annual SPESA Executive Conference on October 17-18 at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel in Washington, DC. Executives from Walmart, Brooks Brothers, and other industry and government organizations will share their views on the growing movement to return manufacturing of fashion, softgoods, and industrial textile products to the U.S. and the Western Hemisphere.
Attendees of the ‘Reshoring and Economic Recovery’ event will also receive briefings on the state of the economic recovery and negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and other global trade matters.
According to Al Irvine, SVP of American & Efird and SPESA Chairman, “In response to a host of economic, political, and other factors, fashion and sewn products companies are reawakening to the many benefits of manufacturing in the USA and the Western Hemisphere. This conference will enable retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers to learn from and network with peers, industry leaders, and government officials to gain the information and insight they need to seize these new opportunities.”
In the keynote presentation, Michelle Gloeckler, Walmart Senior Vice President Home will discuss the retail leader’s commitment to buy an additional $50 billion in U.S.-made products over the next 10 years. John Martynec, Vice President Domestic Manufacturing for Brooks Brothers Group will speak about why Made in the U.S.A. is such an important part of the iconic brand’s heritage and future.
Other topics and speakers slated for the conference include:
- The Promise of Re-Shoring for Suppliers - Mike Fralix, President & CEO, [TC]2
- Re-Shoring/Near-Shoring Activity in the Americas - Mary O'Rourke, President, O'Rourke Group
- U.S. Brands and Retailers Rethink Sourcing Strategies - Kevin Burke, President and CEO, AAFA
- Public Policies to Bring Jobs Home - Scott Paul, President, Alliance for American Manufacturing
- What Suppliers Need to Know about U.S. Trade Policies – Augustine Tantillo, President, NCTO
- The Transition from Recession to Recovery - Michael Wolf, Economist, Wells Fargo Securities
- Reshoring: Reality or Wishful Thinking?- SPESA member panel discussion
“We are leveraging the Washington, DC venue to focus on the most important issues, trends, and legislation facing our industry”, noted SPESA Managing Director Dave Gardner. “To make this important event accessible to all, we are also implementing a new time-efficient format that enables attendees to experience all of the presentation content in a single day preceded by an evening reception in close proximity to the U.S. Capitol. We invite all industry executives and managers to register today.”
About SPESA
Formed in 1990, the Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) is the largest trade association in the Americas solely devoted to the advancement of suppliers of machinery, technology, ancillary equipment, parts, services and other solutions for the development, manufacture, and distribution of sewn products.
SPESA members serve the apparel, upholstered furniture, home textiles, transportation interiors, leather goods, footwear, military, technical/industrial textiles and other sewn products segments.
