Today we’d like to introduce you to Brent Kappes.
Hi Brent, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
While serving in the Navy, I suffered from persistent athlete’s foot. The quality of the clothing and socks being issued to us in boot camp wasn’t the greatest. You hear so many positive things about how the armed forces have the greatest materials, weapons, and technology, but when it came to the clothing, it was just subpar. That’s when I began exploring different fabric technologies that I could implement to create a sock of my own. I came across bamboo as a material that was antibacterial lasts long and is incredibly soft. This material would resist bacteria and help prevent you from getting athlete’s foot. I thought about how I could combine bamboo with the technology aspect of it. I took bamboo and tech and came up with Bamtech. That’s how it all got started.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I was selling bamboo socks to various divisions and groups within the military. I started selling FBA for a little, however, I transitioned from that because my end goal was to get my socks into boot camp. That process proved to be very challenging. The people that you must meet and competing with massive long-term contracts, it’s difficult. I thought being a US veteran along with providing a better solution would allow me to secure the contracts, but it doesn’t work like that. Other factors, like the price, are also considered. The government is looking for the cheapest bidder and I’m not able to compete with that. Especially since we only offer the best quality materials.
As I have recently transitioned from a government role to a direct-to-consumer position, I have gained a comprehensive understanding of the various components involved in building an online presence and executing successful online advertising campaigns. Industry professionals can attest that this process is both time-consuming and demanding.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Bamtech USA?
Bamtech is certified hand-made-in-the-USA high-quality clothing that people can wear for a very long time. We offer reliability and comfort. Our clothing is manufactured from sustainable fabrics, and all our operations are based in the USA, right here in Los Angeles. Other larger brands use far less quality in their clothing and get their materials for very cheap from overseas.
With Bamtech, the quality of our products is a huge differentiating factor between us and our competitors. We offer a higher level of comfort and a more desired fit. Some of our t-shirts are longer and are tapered towards the bottom whereas, with other brands, their sizing is very broad. The fit of our competitor’s t-shirts can vary by each so there’s no consistency in the fit. Our apparel is antibacterial and incredibly soft. At Bamtech, we like to say, “better fabric, better training.”
Many who have tried our clothing confess to not returning to the cotton t-shirt they’re used to wearing, and we’re proud of that. We directly support the local community. By choosing to stay local we create economic opportunities for those who live in the Los Angeles area. Larger manufacturers have outsourced their manpower overseas because of cost reasons, which has caused the American clothing manufacturing industry to dwindle over the years. I feel that if I could help pioneer a recovery of US manufacturers of clothing, that would be amazing.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
“We would greatly appreciate any support for our social media pages, @bamtechusa.”
Pricing:
- Aero Tech Bamboo Tee – $45
- Eucalyptus Performance Tank – $42
- 7″ Dominate Training Shorts – $64
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bamtechusa.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bamtechusa/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Bamtechusa
