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INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) – An Indianapolis-based company that launched into a Taylor University dorm is rebranding again. Sky Outfitters, which previously served as an e-commerce site selling its branded socks, scarves and t-shirts, has closed and Sky Manufacturing has taken its place. The new company manufactures socks and sportswear for around 160 partners across the country.
In an interview with Inside INdiana Business, founder Keaton Hendricks said he found a niche in manufacturing in late 2019.
“People had started to find out that we made socks, but they wanted their own running socks to be made with their logo instead of ours to help promote their branding,” said Hendricks. “It started in 2019 [and] has made it through 2020. Obviously the pandemic has changed things and as the pandemic has kind of forced us to rely more on that side of the making, Sky Outfitters has kind of taken a back seat. “
Sky Outfitters officially closed its doors last week after five years. Hendricks says it was a sad ending, but “it’s about time”. He says the move to Sky Manufacturing is part of a natural business evolution.
“This is now our third business name that we will be using. So we’ve done several pivots and changes, but that’s what every business does is do these little pivots and changes to find where you are most needed in the market and we think we’ve found that in a way. than we have ever felt before.
Sky Manufacturing has five full-time employees, all graduates of Taylor University, and Hendricks says they have a strong focus on product development for the runic specialty industry. He says they focus primarily on running stores across the United States, including Athletic Annex in Indianapolis.
“We’re using our relationships that we developed about six years ago to create other people’s brands where we can offer them better margins, better prices, and these are items that people have to come back to the store for. We started with socks because of course socks are what we have the most experience with, but we moved earlier this year and ultimately our goal is to create this collection of manufactures clothing. that stores can mark and use themselves.
Hendricks says the business almost operates with a crowdsourcing mentality.
“It’s good that we’re getting comments from people saying, ‘Hey, can you do that next? “And so we are able to use that information and decipher it to some extent until we move on next,” he said. “Our entire team makes these parts and it was a big challenge. Product development is one of our main goals as we try to build this collection.
He says the process of sending samples to partners and having them pre-order a specific amount of product also helps offset the risk and costs associated with developing a new product.
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