Richard's Research

I want credit going to a fine woman basically responsible for the Knitted Project: Mary Lou Quinlan whose book "Just Ask a Woman" gave me the keys to find and develop very addictive products. I suggest buying this book, available at Barnes & Noble and first printed in 2003.I ve a personally signed copy. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-ask-a-woman-mary-lou-quinlan/1102875765?ean=9780471369202

The KEY? Ask what people want: unfortunately most people do not know what they want. I therefore, would describe a product, such as a custom office sweater, and slowly through at times very leading questions, discover what would sell again and again.

Here's how to find product parameters: At every "meet-up", dinner, my visiting any office, trade show, etc. I would meet a working woman. A good "ice-breaker" (pun intended) I would ask if she was always cold in her office. Without an exception she would reply: "Yes". How would she deal with this? Very often by wearing a sweater. Would she like a properly fitting sweater which looked very business appearing? Of course. Would it bother her to spend $200 to find such a useful piece of apparel? Not really. Especially if the garment could establish longevity in her wardrobe.

Very few women don't try to look good at work. The more business-like appearance the more business respect you earn. Let's extend this to women on discussion panels. Most women on daises dress in black to avoid the greater style question. If our products make a women standout by looking important we could offer products in colors making her more memorable and authoritative: an addictive product line of business sweaters and appropriate accessories

Goodness, after 5 years of asking what office women want in a sweater you would think I would have hundreds of stories to tell. Only a few do not repeat endlessly. I have met small women needing to shop in the children's sections and never had arms with enough room. I met women with scoliosis whose right and left sides didn't match. Both skinny and broad women who never found clothes without a challenge. Yet a couple of things do repeat: pockets that won't bulge outward, warmth without weight, ease of care are some important parameters. And forget the idea of automated body scanning. Everybody, women, men, from everywhere around the world want to use clothes to cover up mistakes and emphasize the good stuff. Customization can do all this and people, if the quality is there, will pay the cost we need to charge to make a profit.

Please don't take my word for any of the above: you too can easily ask the same questions of every women you meet. I guarantee you will get the same answers. The same ability to ask questions and track comments through the social media outlets will keep us well informed what is successful.

Understanding the Post-Trump World: We need to be ready to take advantage of a rare opportunity.

American Century Importing: The gateway to tomorrow's automation

The shift from Adam Smith manufacturing to tomorrow's manufacturing

Although Adam Smith is generally correct, the time of the most efficient country supplying other countries is over: modern manufacturing can produce very efficient products in many places. I do not expect you to read "The Wealth of Nations", a very long, complicated but correct book.

What's the difference of the past to our modern future? What are the potential opportunities?

In the Adam Smith era just finishing, a producer would sell to an exporter who then sold to an importer/distributor and then to the final customer (who may return the product).

In today's world of international communications, one owner from any one position on the supply chain, could control and ensure high quality and good design without having to compromise. ACImporting.com provides tools to manage the supply chain which also manages your sales and profits.

Modern apparel, as well as many other manufactured products, custom or off-the-rack, needs today's and tomorrow's innovations.

Do you think your products will do better being directly under your control?

For American Century Importing, everything we help you currently accomplish provides preparation for the post-Trump era where our style of manufacturing will produce new products at very reasonable, if not inexpensive, products for mass consumption. I believe it will take three years of custom apparel production to provide a structure for mass production of apparel, but that is a particular project (SittingOnARainbow). And from my redesign (not only just me, of course) for automated production things will never be the same. In fact, they will be much better. Women's clothing, for one important thing, being more attractive couldn't hurt anything.

Trump is providing a trade crisis while trying to equalize trade imbalances. Whereas his methods may or may not succeed, American Century Importing chooses not to wait or depend on government actions or non-actions.

I have been working on how industry can return to American shores for 20 years. I have been waiting for the opportunity provided by the crisis created by Trump. In fact, Manufacturing Villages, my project, will accomplish Trump's goals creating a winning situation for everyone.

As well as anyone, American Century Importing knows what is going on and what the issues needing addressing.

Richard Pearlman
Chief Engineer/VP of Engineering