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Darn It! A company’s transformation retains jobs
New Bedford Economic Development Council Staff
 An
“Extreme Makeover” of Ronnie Manufacturing in 1996
transformed the 35-year-old contract clothing business
into a unique operation that solves quality control and
logistical problems caused by offshore manufacturing.
Darn It! was created in response to a dilemma facing the
350-employee, family-owned plant: the wave of
outsourcing that was draining the U.S. garment industry.
“The old adage - ‘when life gives you lemons, make
lemonade,’ is fitting, according to Darn It! President
Jeffrey Glassman.
Glassman and his father Norman made the bold decision to
change the operation’s focus and the result today is a
thriving, growing business with more than 120 employees
occupying 140,000 square feet on 92 Harbor Street in New
Bedford in the former Berkshire Hathaway mill complex.
Darn It!’s client list includes major retailers,
manufacturers, wholesalers, importers, catalogue
retailers and liquidation companies.
The idea for the business sprung up from the fact that
many of their customers in the mid 1990s began sending
their cut-and-sew productions offshore instead of to
Ronnie Manufacturing, Glassman recalled. However, when
the products came back to New England, they had quality
problems ranging from poor stitching and packaging to
incorrectly sewn labels.
“There was no time for them to send the products back to
the original factory as their customers (the retailers)
could possibly cancel the order if the delivery date was
not met. So our old customers began sending their
foreign made products to us to fix and refurbish for
them. We would inspect, repair and send them the product
back quickly so they could meet their delivery
deadlines,” he explained.
Following lengthy marketing research, Glassman
discovered that some large area retailers and
manufacturers needed help with similar issues. The
family closed the cut-and-sew operations to concentrate
on the service business and hasn’t looked back.
“What really separates us from many competitors is that
our employees possess the skills in manufacturing,
quality control and warehousing that enable us to
provide our customers with a quick turn around with the
proper quality so that they can get their goods on to
the selling shelves immediately,” he said.
Many staff members from Ronnie Manufacturing now work at
Darn It! and participated in the transformation process.
“Reinventing a business like Darn It! that retains jobs
and uses one of the city’s best assets – our mill space
– is a critical piece in the overall revitalization of
New Bedford,” said Matthew A. Morrissey, Executive
Director of the New Bedford Economic Development
Council.
Darn It!’s slogan, “Your Problem is Our Business,”
appropriately sums up the operation.
Examples of services include everything from garment
repairs, alterations, button and snap replacements and
trimming to dry cleaning and laundering, mold and mildew
removal, spot cleaning and hem reinforcement to
pressing, re-packaging and re-labeling.
The quality control services include inspections for
fabric and product flaws and measurements.
Glassman added that the company has become a de-facto
quality control/inspection department for many
clients-receiving all their shipments to ensure that
there are no problems before they proceed to
distribution facilities.
“These are common problems-nothing major, but enough to
make the products unsalable,” Glassman said. “Our
clients depend on Darn It! as a quality control, problem
solver.”
In addition, another portion of the business is devoted
to warehouse and distribution. Numerous New England
retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers use Darn It! as
their distribution outsource center and for long or
short term storage, returns processing and pick and
pack/fulfillment.
October 12, 2007 |
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