Valerie Lilley
Minonk, IL (USA)
Role(s):
Founder/Owner/Principal
Toluca Tailoring Co.
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Startup
Location:
Minonk
Industry:
Manufacturing
Year Founded:
2008
Number Employees:
10-50 people
Description:
Background. Garment manufacturing in Toluca can be traced back as far as 1925 when R.D. Granert Clothing factory opened. It was destroyed by fire in 1945. Three years later Czechoslavakian immigrant Anton Hanus started the Toluca Garment Co. and clientele changed to the upper-income and hard to fit. Bud Magliano bought the company in 1987 and by then orders came in from designers and tailors nationwide. Their customers were famous people such as Mohamed Ali, Johnny Bench, as well as stock brokers, lawyers, little people, obese people and disabled. (Newpapers’ articles, Attachment 5).
The old company specialized in mass-customization and that’s what the new company will do. Local tailors or dealers get orders from their local clients. This order is then forwarded to TT which custom tailors the garment based on the specification of the local custom tailor. The local tailor is free to sell the garment as his/ her own creation. This forwarding of the production function allows the local tailor to be more proactive in taking orders and expanding his/her custom tailoring business by tapping the market.
Mission Statement: We are the hands behind the custom tailor. We make exceptional garments with the utmost customer service.
Company Goals and Objectives: We will be the nation’s leader in customer care, quality garment production with a loyal customer following. The $3 million in revenues is a milestone along the way to being the nation’s leading custom-production house.
Business Philosophy: We will serve our employees and dealers with truth and integrity which spawns a superior garment.
Toluca Tailoring will be an S-Corporation not affiliated with Sofi's Stitches Inc. Though upon TT’s success, Sofi’s will move from Peoria to the TT location to combine office staff and shipping and packaging operations.