Independent Trading Company

Independent Trading Company is a family owned manufacturer and supplier of blank and custom apparel for screen printers and brands, with roots in the action sports industry dating to 1987. It started in a San Clemente, California garage and now has headquarters in San Clemente and Ningbo, China. Blank apparel suppliers sit early in the decorated garment supply chain, selling undecorated garments that printers and brands screen print, embroider or otherwise customise for retail.

The stock line covers sweatshirts, performance fleece, jackets, technical outerwear and fleece bottoms in a wide range of colors, with fabrics intended for printing and embellishing. The catalog spans 8.5oz midweight and 10oz heavyweight hoods, small batch pigment dye garments, and streetwear, activewear, workwear and youth collections. Stock orders carry no minimums, and buyers can open a wholesale account for trade pricing on blank apparel. Low minimums matter in this trade because they let smaller print shops buy only what a job needs rather than holding their own inventory.

For custom work, production managers in the USA and China guide designs from concept to delivery, with fabrics ranging from lightweight jersey and novelty knits to technical materials and heavyweight fleece. Custom zippers, embossed eyelets, labels and hangtags are made to order, and custom output ranges from T-shirts and swim trunks to woven jackets and flannels. The company has manufactured custom apparel in China for more than 35 years.

At-once inventory is held in California and Pennsylvania, and distributors serve the USA, Canada, Australia, Chile, Germany, Japan, the UK, Brazil and Mexico. With warehouses on both sides of the country, the company offers quick shipping times across the US. Many of its first customers are still among its customers.