Appalachian Gear Company announces its expansion into a new manufacturing facility in Kings Mountain, NC. The move will allow the brand to increase the production of its All-Paca products while creating jobs in the Charlotte metropolitan area.
Since getting started in Charlotte in 2018, Appalachian Gear Company has always manufactured 100 percent of its fabric in its own facility, with product assembly at various factories across the Southeastern U.S.
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.
As a result, the company’s founders returned to their roots and relocated to Kings Mountain, where they started their first manufacturing operation.
By staying in North Carolina, it can 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. started growing two years ago as more people began to find out about us, and then COVID struck,” said John Gage, co-founder, Appalachian Gear Company. “Ironically, 2020 was the year that our brand’s public awareness exploded, and we 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 many folks, the decision to find a bigger, better space to grow our business in the midst of all that was unthinkable, but we see it as staying true to the entrepreneurial spirit that helped us start the brand in the first place.”
Production has started at the new facility. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for July 2021.