Busy Bee Denim

Maris LaBella, Madelynne Nagel, Victoria Watterson FASM 420 Global Sourcing

MISSION STATEMENT Achieve and retain market leadership in Denim Fabrics / Garments Manufacturing produce to the highest quality standards excel through continuous improvement fulfill and exceed the expectations of our customers be ethical in its practices.

COMPANY PROFILE Busy Bee Denim Company is a company based out of Los Angeles, California that produces customizable sustainable denim for established, individualized, environmentally conscious women. We started in 2019 and we believe that women should be able to find obtainable jeans that are high quality, long lasting, and made from all natural plant based materials in an ethical way, which is why we make our jeans available nation wide through our website busybeedenim.com where our customers can purchase their favorite pair of jeans. We value transparency and sustainability and appreciate each individual customer that supports our brand, so offer customizable embroidery options on all of our styles of jeans.

MOOD BOARD

KEYWORDS

sustainable comfortable effortless simple relaxed

Our Goal -

Sourcing 100% sustainable or recycled cotton Archroma Advanced Denim� dyeing process, which uses 84% less water, 30% less energy, and 25% less CO2 To be a public company To provide an affordable, sustainable option for consumers To eliminate the use of harsh chemicals, we will be using all natural dye We strive to be a transparent and honest company

RAW MATERIALS + PIGMENTS Blueberry- Whole blueberries are combined with water and are boiled to create a dye, sourced in Poland Iris- Fresh or dried blooms are gathered and an alum mordant is used to achieve a blue dye, sourced from Italy Hyacinth- purple/blue plants are boiled with hot water, sourced from Turkey Elderberry-dark purple berries combined with vinegar to create a dye, they’re also known for their healing properties, sourced from the U.S. Indigo- derived from indigo leaves which are soaked in water and fermented to get the dye powder, sourced from India

DESIGN While using natural dye we achieve really unique results in the coloring of our denim.

We offer monogramming, embroidery, and recycled patches per request.

Busy Bee

Our pigmentss *color will vary*

PRODUCTS

High-rise $180.00

$170.00

flare

skinny

straight

boyfriend

HYACINTH

ELDERBERRY

BLUEBELLE

IRIS

INDIGO

$175.00

$165.00

$180.00

The details

Busy Bee

SIZES: 0-12 FREE EMBROIDERY WITH PURCHASE ALL NATURAL NATURALLY DYED

CARE & WASH LABEL 100% Cotton MACHINE WASH COLD ONLY NON-CHLORINE *WASHING MAY CAUSE FADING* HANG DRY MEDIUM WARM IRON

Future Products Jean Skirts Overalls Jean Jackets - Customizable Tote Bag

Future of the Company Always introducing new ideas and pigments Beauty line Childrenswear Accessories Home supplies

PRODUCT CATEGORIES

Stats based on womens denim market in the U.S. In 2016 the womens denim market was about $9.6 billion Global denim market is increasing: - Expanding urban population - Increase of white collar employees - Perception change about “professional wear�

- Increase of women in the workforce also changing to market with more maternity options and different sustainable options Our company also eventually want to offer other denim products such as: Jean shorts + skirts Jean Jackets Canvas Bag

SUPPLY CHAIN 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Raw material plantation Mill/refinery Preparing the cotton yarn Dyeing the yarn with natural materials Washing to prevent bleeding or fading Cut & Sew Tagged and packaged Distribute

Organization Chart CEO Maris LaBella Madelynne Nagel Victoria Watterson

Manager ďŹ nance

GM Operations

GM Marketing

GM R&D

Victoria Watterson

Maris LaBella

Madelynne Nagel

Manager Production

R&D Manager

Standards & Policies TOPICS

GOAL

ACTIONS

RESULTS

CODE OF ETHICS

To be lawful and ethical in all aspects of business.

Refuse to work with people/companies that aren’t lawful, even if it’s more expensive.

No one will be harmed in the process of creating our products.

SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT

To create jeans made out of natural, vegan products and to reduce the amount of energy and water required to produce our product.

Refusing to use any materials that are not natural and sourcing them through trustworthy sources

Our products will be biodegradable and higher quality.

HUMAN RIGHTS POLICY

Honest working hours that comply with national laws or benchmark industry standards to ensure the health, safety and welfare of our workers.

To have strict guidelines and treat everyone equally under our code of conduct.

.A safe and enjoyable working environment is created for all employees.

ANIMAL WELFARE AND MATERIAL ETHICS

No animals will be harmed to create our products and they will be all natural and plant based.

CHEMICAL RESTRICTIONS

Unnatural chemicals are prohibited from being used to create our products.

SECURITY POLICY

To make sure that employees feel safe through professional supervision and follow factory regulations.

Sustainable or recycled cotton sourced from reliable sources.

84% less water, 30% less energy, and 25% less CO2.To eliminate the use of harsh chemicals

To have employees that enforce the standards of the company and to report of any unlawful conditions and to protect anyone in harm.

Nothing has to suffer, animal enthusiasts and vegans will be attracted to our brand, and we will have all natural biodegradable products.

No one will have any skin reactions and no chemicals will pollute the environment.

Having a safe and secure work environment for employees .

TARGET MARKET 18-55 Cares for the environment Is willing to pay extra for sustainable jeans + ethical practices Like personalization & good quality Tries to shop “slow fashion”

CUSTOMER PROFILE Daisy, 25 Lives in L.A Graphic designer Income: $80,000 Loves gardening and cooking in her free time Cares about the environment Is willing to pay more for quality and a sustainable company Wears denim everyday Wears ‘The High Rise Hyacinth’ with a daisy flower embroidered in our gold stitch.

PRICE + TARGET MARKUP Skinny: $175.00, 86% markup Boyfriend: $180.00, 86% markup Straight: $165.00, 85% markup Flare: $170.00, 85% markup High-Rise: $180.00, 86% markup Range: $165.00-180.00 retail 85- 86% markup

#savethebees Campaign + +

+ + +

With every pair of denim you will receive a complimentary pack of seeds of flowers to grow anywhere you would like.

Through your help, we aim to have a positive impact on our planet and the global community, through the support of individuals and organizations that focus on protecting bees and their environments.

More than two thirds of the world’s crop species rely on pollinators.

44% of bee colonies in the U.S. collapsed in 2016.

Plant flowers! They provide the nectar and pollen that pollinators feed on.

E-COMMERCE

$175

$165

$180

$170

$180

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT Our strategy is to create comfortable, lasting, and unique denim for women.

We strategically picked mills & factories that have sustainable practices and care about the environment Our natural dye will be sourced from it’s indigenous country and sent to our mill for refining and processing the dye with less water and no chemicals. .

As a company to plan the promote our denims ethical and sustainable ways and make it the “norm” for all denim.

Our goal is to leave a smaller footprint on the environment and aim to inspire others.

Assortment Plan

Line Plan

FEBRUARY- JULY 2020

mexico ·

Sustainability -

·

The negotiations for their government to increase funding for technical industries is growing, especially in apparel/textiles to improve international competitiveness, so that could lead to efforts in sustainability Fair Labor Laws

·

They have laws on minimum wage, overtime pay, meals and breaks, sick leave, vacation and holiday leave, jury duty, and severance pay Strong, democratic government set up recognizing a wide range of social rights including freedom of expression & right to unionize Technology

·

158 fintech companies exist in Mexico, more engineers graduate in Mexico than in the U.S., and technology will play a role in their growing economy Trade Agreements

·

They have over 44 Free Trade Agreements, with more than 90% of the country’s total trade falling under an FTA Duty free shipping to the U.S. Cost (what is the minimum wage for apparel workers? Country minimum wage)

-

Their current minimum wage is $7.50 an hour

bangladesh + Textown, joined forces with the IFC-led Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) to switch to more sustainable production methods. This slashed the amount of energy, dye, and chemicals the company used, and cut its water consumption by 11 million liters per year. + Minimum wage lower than China, Cambodia, India, and Vietnam. Majority of companies provide in-depth training and technical development classes and facilities. + 20 million working employees + 8,000 taka (approximately 95 dollars) a month for garment workers. + The U.S. goods trade deficit with Bangladesh was $4.2 billion in 2017, a 15.8% decrease ($792 million) over 2016. + Trade Agreement with U.S= TICFA + Many Bangladesh factories have improved their safety standards and compliance norms.

CHINA Sustainability and Technology

路

-

路

China is known for having very advanced technology, which can help with more electric production and can be more efficient Fair Labor Laws

-

路

They are starting to have minimum wage requirements which will also help with implementing more sustainable practices into production Trade Agreements

路

The U.S. is trying to start implementing heavy tariffs on Chinese imports Trade war currently happening They are also in a border war with India right now Cost

-

Regional variation Can range from around $143.81 to $348.02 monthly

Supplier Analysis Mexico: Cualquier Lavado, S.A. de C.V. - fabric and final manufacturing They use state of the art equipment to more efficiently produce their denim. They also have a lot of experience with cotton, produce trendier styles, and expect high quality results. They’ve been in business for over 20 years and they take their privacy policy very seriously.

Bangladesh: NCVI Private Limited - dyeing and refining This supplier is known for their natural indigo dyes. We chose this because even though there are other suppliers there that focus on denim, we appreciated the natural and more sustainable aspect of this company. Not only do they use natural dyes, but they have experience with natural materials such as silk and cotton as well. It’s owned by the workers and artisans, is fair trade, the workers get fair wage and also democratically manage and run their own businesses.

China: NINGBO NCJN Import and Export Co. Ltd. - buttons and zippers We needed things like buttons and zippers from China, and we chose this one because they have all natural options made from materials such as bamboo and coconut shells. They have years of experience, the workers own the factory themselves and they also do quality control themselves to guarantee the best quality possible.

Strategy Publication We chose to use Mexico for our main denim supplier because they are established and experienced with denim and it’s a duty free country to import from. We also made sure to find a supplier that has experience with producing 100% cotton denim.

We noticed Bangladesh was making changes to become more sustainable and decided to use them for dyeing and finishing mills. We found a supplier that has a lot of experience with all natural, plant based dyes as well as all natural textiles, specifically silk and cotton.

We chose China for our buttons, threads, and rivets because of their technological advances and their quick production time. They also have established suppliers that can make things in an efficient way. The supplier we found also has sustainable practices by producing products that are made from all natural materials such as bamboo and coconut shells to make things like buttons which we needed for our jeans. They also have great prices (the ones we would get would only cost a couple cents each) https://nbnewcentury.en.made-in-china.com/product-group/eqMJyBcYbGTl/1-Button-catalog-1.html

MEXICO CHINA BANGLADESH ·

Business climate

9

7

5

·

Costs

8

6

7

·

Government

4

8

4

·

Location

9

4

6

·

Risks

8

7

5

·

Social Stability

6

8

6

Textile industry

8

6

7

Trade Agreements

8

4

7

·

·

·

Total points and average points for each country ·

Trained workforce

5

6

8

7.3 ·

Socio-eco-political

8

8

5

6.4

6.0

·Mexico: ·

Cualquier Lavado, S.A. de C.V., Bangladesh: NCVI Private Limited, China: NINGBO NCJN Import and Export Co. Ltd.

Abilities

8

9

9

·

Capacity

7

6

9

·

Lead time

9

6

8

·

Quality

8

6

5

·

Customers

6

7

6

·

Sourcing guideline

9

8

6

·

Services offered

8

7

9

·

Strategic outlook

8

9

8

·

Total points and average points for each supplier: 6.3

5.8

6.0

Conclusion ·

Values and Guidelines

I think that our suppliers align with our values and guidelines because they all offer more sustainable options either in technology or in all natural materials. ·

Margins and Quality

They maximize our margins and quality because they are all reasonably priced and have experience in their industries. They have established production systems in place which helps to create better quality in a shorter amount of time. ·

Timing

With the final production taking place in Mexico, the fact that it’s so close to the U.S. can be really beneficial for our lead times. ·

Flexibility and Value

It offers us flexibility because we don’t have to sacrifice our values in order to find people that can produce what we want. It also adds value because transparency and sustainability are something that people are looking for more right now and we can be transparent about our production process because it’s actually fair and sustainable.

·

Growing and Future Advantages

It offers us room to grow because we still plan on owning our own farms and incorporating vertical integration into our business one day. For now this just makes us connections and gives us reliable suppliers to help produce our products. ·

Minimizing Risk and Maximizing Opportunities

Working with established suppliers minimizes risk and the fact that we can be transparent with our consumers allows us to be more confident with our business decisions ·

Are you proud to tell anyone in what countries and in what suppliers you produce your product?

We’re proud because countries like Mexico and Bangladesh are currently making efforts towards sustainability which is a great part of our company and China has a reputation for well established suppliers. ·

Factories and Matching Company Profile and Costing

Paying more for sustainable products is something that we were willing to do, so pricing isn’t an issue, and as mentioned before our supplies and supplies match our mission to have all natural, plant based jeans for our consumers

WORKS CITED https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/make-natural-fabric-blue-dyes-2145738?_ga=2.36737961.841244186.1547564184-418998624.1547564184 https://www.thespruce.com/dye-fabric-with-natural-dyes-2145735 http://snapshot.numerator.com/brand/mrs_meyers_clean_day https://www.transparency-one.com/how-ethical-denim-supply-chain/ https://www.businessinsider.com/how-jeans-are-made-2013-11 https://www.levistrauss.com/sustainability/planet/water/ https://www.eileenfisher.com/usa-our-factories/less-water https://sourcingjournal.com/denim/denim-brands/14512-2-96537/ http://www.sweetpaulmag.com/crafts/natural-berry-dye https://www.ehow.com/how_8083011_dye-elderberries.html https://www.pinterest.com/pin/687784174319645859/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/336784878367908157/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_(plant)#Distribution_and_habitat https://www.hortidaily.com/article/6026165/world-s-top-ten-blueberry-producing-countries/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigo_dye https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyacinth_(plant) http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/sgrais/indigo.htm https://www.statista.com/statistics/718904/women-s-denim-market/ https://www.china-briefing.com/news/minimum-wages-china-2018-19/ https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/news_ext_content/ifc_external_corporate_site/news+and+events/news/impact-stories/clean-sustainable-bangladesh-textile https://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/wage-and-hour-laws/state-wage-and-hour-laws/new-mexico/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/madhvimavadiya/2018/05/05/mexican-fintech-mexico-financial-technology/#75dfa0f03d1d https://www.cheerios.com/our-passions/ http://beeaware.org.au/pollination/pollinator-reliant-crops/cotton/ https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20180109-japanese-samurai-real-indigo/ https://www.fibre2fashion.com/dyes/indigo-suppliers-1243933 https://bd110940753.fm.alibaba.com/company_profile.html?spm=a2700.icbuShop.conu5cff17.1.168946b7km7rsT https://www.made-in-china.com/companysearch.do?word=bamboo+button&subaction=hunt&style=b&mode=and&code=0&comProvince=nolimit&order=0&isOpenCorrection=1 https://nbnewcentury.en.made-in-china.com/company-NINGBO-NCJN-IMPORT-AND-EXPORT-CO-LTD-.html http://www.cualquierlavado.com/about.htm

Thank you!