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“Apparel is an old industry that is not doomed to being low profit and low technology. It’s in the midst of a reinvention, and that can be very exciting.”
So says John Thorbeck of Chainge Capital, a company name that is a play on words meant to communicate change in the supply chain. Thorbeck has collaborated with Stanford Professor Warren Hausman over the past decade to study supply chains outside of the apparel industry.
“We wanted to see what we could learn from the experiences of other industries,” Thorbeck said, “most notably the electronics and auto industries, that could apply to the fashion industry. Our answer is a resounding yes, there are lessons to be learned. We have focused on process innovation from those industries that might be transferrable into apparel. That learning in terms of research, case studies, models and financial metrics runs very deep and leads to our conv
The move is largely symbolic, but carries a strong business argument as Tesla matures as a manufacturing company and pushes toward launching its first pickup truck.
The bottom line is that although Tesla has done a lot for the San Francisco Bay Area, Texas is a far better location for a new car factory and Tesla is going to build one near Austin.
Although Tesla is currently the most valuable automaker on the planet, it isn t doing everything right.
Its flagship factory has always been an anomaly, for example. Located in Fremont, California, the plant has been an economic boon for the San Francisco Bay area, but for the US auto industry, it s borderline off the grid.