Appalachian Gear Company, an outdoor lifestyle company specializing in American-made performance apparel and gear, announced its expansion into a new manufacturing facility in Kings Mountain, North Carolina. The move allows the brand to increase production of its All-Paca products, while creating jobs in the Charlotte metropolitan area.
During the past 30 years, Appalachian Gear Company’s founders watched apparel manufacturing leave the United States. Since getting started in Charlotte in 2018, App Gear Co has manufactured 100 percent of its fabric in its own facility, with product assembly taking place at various factories across the Southeastern United States.
As demand grew for the brand’s performance hoodies, Crews, accessories and gear, it became clear it was time to find a larger space that could accommodate the pace of manufacturing needed to keep up. As a result, App Gear Co’s founders returned to their roots and relocated to historic Kings Mountain, where they started their first manufacturing operation.
By staying in North Carolina, App Gear Co is able to have better oversight of the manufacturing process, ensure the production of higher quality garments and gear and guarantee employees have a safe working environment.
“App Gear Co really started growing two years ago as more people began to find out about us, and then COVID struck,” said John Gage, co-founder of Appalachian Gear Company. “Ironically, 2020 was the year that our brand’s public awareness exploded, and we really struggled to keep up with demand in the face of global supply chain issues that impacted our flow of raw material from Peru. I know to a lot of folks, the decision to find a bigger, better space to grow our business in the midst of all that was unthinkable, but we just see it as staying true to the entrepreneurial spirit that helped us start the brand in the first place.”
Production commenced at the new facility, with a ribbon cutting ceremony in the plans for July. For more information, contact Suzanne Hermann at suzanne@darbycommunications.com or visit appalachiangearcompany.com.
