Los Angeles Mayor Announces Supply-Chain Resource Guide
LAS VEGAS—Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa kicked off the opening of the first-ever Made in Los Angeles pavilion at Sourcing at MAGIC with the announcement of a planned online resource guide of apparel-industry suppliers and manufacturers in Los Angeles.
The mayor’s office of economic and business policy will partner with the Los Angeles Regional Export Council to research and compile a guide that will serve as a “road map of Los Angeles’ vast apparel industry, driving more business to local contractors and ultimately creating more jobs.”Villaraigosa was on hand for opening day of the Aug. 20–23 run of the Sourcing show at the Las Vegas Convention Center to encourage manufacturers to produce in Los Angeles, the largest manufacturing center in the country, and spread the word that Los Angeles is the “premier hub” for fashion production.
“My message is simple: If you want to say Made in U.S.A., say Made in L.A.,” the mayor said. “People don’t usually think of L.A. as a manufacturing powerhouse. L.A. is the cutting edge of fast-fashion—where clothing can go from the cutting table to the rack in the blink of an eye. While they don’t think of L.A. in those terms, they should. Every link in the apparel supply chain can be found in L.A.”
The U.S. Department of Commerce's undersecretary for international trade, Francisco Sanchez, was also on hand for the trade event to open the Sourcing in the Americas pavilion at Sourcing at MAGIC. The Department of Commerce also announced plans to compile its own sourcing guide for the national apparel industry.
The mayor spent the day at the Las Vegas trade show, meeting exhibitors and attendees, opening a seminar on Made in Los Angeles production, and concluding with a dinner hosted by Los Angeles private-equity firm Intrepid and attended by several industry leaders.—Alison A. Nieder
