In the world of social entrepreneurship, where impact metrics are still  loosely defined, we believe the greatest social impact you can have is creating a supply chain with meaning. We think of our supply chain as more than where  and who makes our upcycled products, it’s also everything in between.  From who makes your website to what is the environmental and economic impact of your business sending out hundreds of mailings each week, everything matters, and just like  consumers, we also vote with our wallets to strengthen the American economy. 

There are too many companies that focus on the 1 for 1 model as their social impact, when the economy would prefer if they were more concerned about the economic impact of their supply chain.

Here are a few of the other US businesses that you support when you buy a Repat product:

The  United States Postal Service, is an institution in trouble, but also one that provides a vital service that can connect any American citizen to each other within a few days . For years, the USPS has provided middle class jobs to African-Americans and Veterans, with generous pensions and health benefits. We have created a strong partnership with USPS to acquire the t-shirts from our customers, and send it back to them, as a t-shirt blanket. Since last summer, we have provided almost $50,000 of business for USPS. It’s a drop in the bucket for them, but part of our mission to create a supply chain with a meaning. If you want to learn more about the history of the USPS and where they are headed, read this recent article inEsquire.

EcoEnclose is an eco-friendly shipping supplies company based in Colorado. Unfortunately, as  e-commerce has grown into a multi billion dollar  industry, the packaging that consumers receive their products in, are some of the least friendly products for the environment. At Repat, we send out two mailers per product; a pre-paid envelope that goes out, and a mailer with the finished product. It’s great to know that, thanks to EcoEnclose all our mailers are biodegradable. 

Mill Direct Textiles– Two weeks before Christmas in 1995, the Malden Mills in Lawrence, Massachusetts burned down in one of the worst fires in the state history. For a city that had felt the harsh pain of globalization taking manufacturing jobs overseas, this was the nail in the coffin. But the owner, Aaron Feuerstein decided to continue to pay his workers with full benefits for another six months. He also rebuilt the factory. Now, Mill Direct Textiles, located in Everett Mills, and made up of employees from Mill Direct, takes the seconds from Polartec, and sells it to apparel makers around the country. 

Artists for Humanity: is a non-profit in Boston that gives employment opportunities in the art and creative industries to low-income teens in the area. They also have an in house web and design studio, which created the design for our website. For the past twenty years, as the economy declined, youth employment programs fell by the wayside, and this non-profit give many the opportunity to make money doing something they enjoy. 

We will continue to feature our different partners, stay tuned.