Stormy Kromer® Manufacturing
We’re proud to say the vast majority of all Stormy Kromer manufacturing is currently done in the USA. All of our caps, most of our accessories, and some apparel pieces are cut and sewn at our family-owned factory in Ironwood, at the far west end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
We partner with several other American manufacturers as well. One of our favorites is St. Luke’s N.E.W. Life Center in Flint, Michigan, a faith-based environment that empowers women and men to become self-sufficient by providing life skills, education, and workplace training. Through their industrial sewing center, they produce most of our Ironwood and Ida Outfitter Vests as well as other products. To grow our capacity, we partner with other American apparel factories from coast to coast.
When we do need a specialized machine or a skillset we don’t have, instead of sacrificing quality, we turn to our partners to fill the gaps. We partner with knitting mills in New Jersey, a ballcap manufacturer in North Carolina and a screen printer in Wisconsin. We even have a partner in Honduras — a family-run manufacturer that’s certified by the Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP) program who makes button-up shirts for us, a capability we do not have.
We live in a small community of about 5,000 people. We know that our future growth depends on partnering with like-minded manufacturers with similar values and a strong commitment to quality. No matter where our products are made, the same high-quality standards apply. You can rest assured that every Stormy Kromer item undergoes a thorough quality audit once it is received in Ironwood, before we ship it off to you.
We invite you to visit our factory in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula to see our manufacturing processes live and in person. Free public tours are offered every weekday. Click here for more information and to make a reservation.
Materials Sourcing
You’ll notice that most of our products say “Made in the USA with globally sourced materials.” Just what does that mean?
It means we take all the factors involved in material sourcing—cost, technical specs, logistics, quality, lead times, minimum order quantities, and more—and choose the very best supplier for each material.
It means that we purchase quality fabric and trim materials from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Scotland, Pakistan, China, and points beyond, all to put the right materials into the hands of our sewing machine operators.
It means we’re constantly looking for new suppliers and partners to be a part of the Stormy Kromer story.
Fabric mills have been on the decline in the US for the past 30+ years. While there are some big names in the wool business, we’ve struggled to find one that can make high quality wool with the specs we need, in the relatively small quantities we buy. Just recently, we’ve begun buying wool from American Woolen Company in Connecticut - a partnership we are excited to grow!