The Manufacturing Report

The Manufacturing Report

This Detroit Apparel Factory Stitches Its Own U.S. Supply Chain

AUG 24, 202635 MIN

Description

He bought a $5 bill’s worth of beanies, sold them, bought more, and, eight years later, he’s manufacturing American-made knitwear in Detroit for brands you’ve heard of. Josh York, founder of Soft Goods, joins AAM President Scott Paul to talk about building a cut-and-sew factory in Corktown from scratch, teaching himself to sew off YouTube, and ruining roughly 100 T-shirts before one came out right. Josh also gets candid about the things most founders won’t say out loud: that sourcing domestically started as a practical decision, not an altruistic one; that he didn’t believe the business would work until year eight; and that after years of convincing buyers why American-made costs more, the market finally shifted and customers now come to him. 👉 Learn more about Soft Goods: https://softgoodsmfg.com 👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more stories on U.S. trade policy, buying American, and protecting American jobs. And sign our petition to bring shipbuilding back to America! https://act.americanmanufacturing.org/ships Guest Resources Soft Goods: https://softgoodsmfg.com AAM Resources & Links 2025 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide: https://bit.ly/2025Gifts Sign up for our daily newsletter, Daily Digest: https://bit.ly/4iWbJga or our bi-weekly: https://bit.ly/4rXmh2Q Check out our Made In America Directory: https://bit.ly/4oUQRY7 You can also listen wherever you get podcasts Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3XQ7glr Spotify: https://bit.ly/48PXG7d Socials X: @KeepItMadeInUSA Facebook: www.facebook.com/americanmanufacturing Instagram: www.instagram.com/americanmanufacturing