Singletracks Mountain Bike News

David Billstrom is the CEO of Kitsbow, a North Carolina based cycling apparel company known for producing high-quality products. The company utilizes a made-to-order model for many of the items in their catalog to reduce waste, cut lead times, and support the local economy. In this episode we ask: What is lean manufacturing? How does it work specifically for an apparel company like Kitsbow? How significant are transportation costs associated with manufacturing your products overseas? Has it been difficult to find manufacturing workers in Old Fort, North Carolina? Is hiring a bottleneck in terms of expanding domestic production? How much waste is due to forecasting errors on sizing, styles, etc.? Does lean manufacturing eliminate most of this? What are some of the things you’ve learned from your customers or been able to improve about your products? What does the future of cycling apparel look like for Kitsbow? Learn more at Kitsbow.com. This episode is sponsored by Explore Brevard. Picture yo