Company Overview
Headquartered in Hanahan, South Carolina, Vapor Apparel is an industry leader in blank performance apparel for digital sublimation printing and print on-demand services. The company also operates a 50,000 sq. ft digital apparel manufacturing and warehousing facility in the historic textile town of Union, South Carolina. Vapor Apparel offers a vertical suite of apparel and decorating services that appeal to wholesalers, consumer brands, and premium events. The company also owns and operates a group of retail performance apparel brands focused on Outdoor Retailers, Online Marketplaces, Coastal and Resort Markets all of which benefit from the firm’s Rapid Retail Replenishment services.
Situation
Vapor Apparel was moving to a new facility at the end of 2018 and was looking for assistance in plant layout for their new location. The company desired a lean plant layout that would organize and streamline operations as much as possible. This would help eliminate wasted space, motion, and cost.
Solution
SCMEP provided a subject matter expert in Lean Methodology to assess the current process flow and assist with the creation of a new layout. This produced a more effective production flow and increased focus on value-added activities which also saved time and money for the company. The new layout also created a smoother transition into the new facility.
Results
- Increased jobs – 13
- Increased sales – $5,000
- Retained sales – $6,000
- Cost savings – $3,000
- New investment (workforce practices/employee skills) – $1,000
- New investment (new products/processes) – $41,000
- Saved/avoided unnecessary investment – $3,000
“SCMEP is very professional with excellent follow-through. They care about benefiting the company and task at hand. I would definitely recommend them to other companies for their expertise and services.”
Brandon Barber, Vice President