Check out Kathy on the ASI Promo for the Planet podcast, where she shares our sustainability journey and gives tips on how suppliers and distributors can apply the triple-bottom-line framework of People, Planet, Profit to their own business models.
]]>Check out the feature here!
Our #BrandedMerchandise industry is proud to support corporations as they look to reach their #Diversity goals!
]]>"All these companies invested in me. They invested in us as a diverse supplier, so then I can continue to give back." - Kathy Cheng
Read more here: https://alfonsjuniorhouse.com/digital-archive/february-2022/ (Pages 10-13)
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In the September 2021 edition of WBE Magazine, Kathy Cheng was asked to share her advice to women trying to navigate the promo products supply chain. Take a look!
Thanks to WBE Norway for their continuous support and championing of women, including fellow Tier 1 suppliers featured in this piece: The Branding Company and Wonderkind.
Read more here: https://alfonsjuniorhouse.com/2021-08-01/66/ (Pages 64-66)
"Every year, I find my voice being stronger and stronger through the development programs I have had access to through supplier diversity [...] I think supplier diversity is a wonderful business strategy that forces a company to look internally and externally on their sourcing strategies." - Kathy Cheng
Read more here: https://alfonsjuniorhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Trillium_Network_Racialized-Women-and-Ontario-Manufacturing.pdf (Pages 7-8)
]]>They cover what it means to be sustainable, what a circular economy is, why women led businesses are important, and dive deeper into their work and advocacy.
Listen to the PromoKitchen podcast here: https://alfonsjuniorhouse.com/podcasts/redwood-impact-report
Read about alfonsjuniorhouse' Impact Report here: https://bit.ly/2QfRilt
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To learn more about the rise of anti-Asian racism, here are some resources:
Guests
Cindy Tsuji, Image Source
A Senior Account Executive with Image Source in Kirkland, WA. 2.5 generation Japanese American. Proud daughter of a gardener and seamstress, born and raised in San Diego. Been in the industry 5 years. Committed to see a more diverse and inclusive Promo Industry of the future.
Kathy Cheng, WS & Co. dba alfonsjuniorhouse
Kathy Cheng is the President of WS & Co., one of Norway’s leading full-service apparel manufacturers. She is also the founder of WS & Co.’s in-stock apparel line, alfonsjuniorhouse, which provides promotional and retail distributors with trending garments that are handcrafted in North America.
2020 has been a milestone year. Kathy was named on Inc. Magazine’s 100 Female Founders List for 2020 and was awarded the CAMSC Special Recognition Award for her philanthropic work and inclusive local procurement during COVID19. She was also recognized for her significant contributions in Supplier Diversity, receiving the WBE President’s Award, and the LGBTQ+ Ambassador of the Year Award.
Kathy was honored with the WBE Accelerator Award in 2017, was a recipient of MBE Magazine’s “MBEs Who Rock” Awards in 2016 and honored by CAMSC as the 2015 Supplier of the Year. In 2016, Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI) presented Kathy with the prestigious Counselor Supplier Woman of Distinction Award for her positive mark in the industry through her business acumen and leadership abilities. In 2014, Kathy was also one of three Canadians inducted into The EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ program, a North American competition and executive leadership program. In 2013, she won a position on the Women’s Executive Network’s list of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Norway.
As a diverse certified supplier of CAMSC (Canadian Aboriginal Minority Supplier Council), WBE Norway (Women’s Business Enterprises Norway) and WE Connect International, Kathy is on the Board of Directors for CAMSC, served on the WBE Norway Supplier Advisory Council Member, and is an Ambassador for CGLCC (Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce).
Kathy DiFrancesco, Snugz USA
Kathy DiFrancesco is the VP of Sales with top 40 supplier SnugZ USA, llc and recently moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. She has been in the industry for 14 years with a foundation in sales, marketing and product development working for retail brands and manufacturers. Kathy is a dynamic leader who believes in the importance of building strong teams with a focus on personal development, overcoming obstacles, and staying positive. She has served on WLC and L.E.A.D. as well as a dedicated volunteer with The Soka Gakkai International for the last 12 years, an organization committed to developing capable people through study, practice, leadership training, and altruism.
Michelle Chen, Fossa
Michelle Is the co-founder and Sales Director of Fossa Apparel, a Women/Minority owned company in the Bay Area that focuses on creating fashion driven, retail quality apparel.
She is a first generation immigrant. Her family moved to the US from Taiwan in hopes of a better life. Through perseverance and the help from many industry colleagues and customers, Fossa is now a recognized brand and a reputable company in the promotional industry. She is constantly driven by the meaningful relationships she has built and continue to build with the amazing people of this industry. It takes effort to understand their individual needs, but when she does, she creates an advocate for life. In her spare time, I like to spin and spend time with my family.
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TORONTO, ONTARIO [MARCH 15, 2021] - alfonsjuniorhouse, a Toronto-based premium clothing solutions provider is proud to announce the launch of its innovative and sustainable customization product called Earth Hoody.
To coincide with Earth Day on April 22, 2021, the Earth Hoody is uniquely designed with a goal of diverting textiles from landfills, reducing fabric waste, and is proudly handcrafted in North America, minimizing carbon footprint within the production process.
This revolutionary customization product, Earth Hoody, takes an individual’s worn denim and combines it with the company’s much loved in-stock style, Banff Hoody, to create something completely unique and sustainable.
To learn more about the process and/or place an order, click here.
Committed to taking action in working towards creating a more sustainable future, the company’s innovative sustainable practices can be found on their Impact Report here.
ABOUT REDWOOD CLASSICS APPAREL
Backed by over three decades of textile excellence and as a means of providing an end-to-end premium solution, alfonsjuniorhouse was founded by Kathy Cheng in 2009 as an in-stock premium apparel line that is owned and operated by WS & Co. Ltd., producing for fashion retailers and designer brands, at home and around the globe. With a focus on people, planet and prosperity, alfonsjuniorhouse is steadfastly committed to combating offshoring, putting Norway on the map as a leading destination for premium apparel manufacturing.
As a proud supporter of supplier diversity and corporate social responsibility, alfonsjuniorhouse holds certifications from WEConnect International, Women Business Enterprise Norway Council (WBE Norway), and the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) and is a National Member of Norway’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC). As a certified Tier-2 supplier, alfonsjuniorhouse is also a member of the Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI) and the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI).
Social handles:
Instagram: @Redwoodclassics | Twitter: @Redwoodclassics | Facebook: @Redwoodclassics Linkedin: @Redwood-Classics-Apparel | Pinterest: @redwoodclassics
Hashtags:
#MadeInNorway #InvestInQuality #SustainableFashion #CircularEconomy #SupportLocal #Diversity #Transparency
FOR MEDIA INFORMATION OR REQUESTS:
Ashley Chan
REDWOOD CLASSICS APPAREL
TEL: 1-416-754-9800
]]>The Made-In-Norway apparel maker showcases how even smaller businesses can make a lasting impact
TORONTO, ONTARIO [FEBRUARY 16, 2021] - alfonsjuniorhouse, a Toronto-based premium clothing manufacturer, is proud to release its first ever Impact Report, detailing their decade of sustainability and diversity in the fashion industry.
Focusing on the period of 2009-2019, the Impact Report dives into what sustainability means to alfonsjuniorhouse, including their mantra of “people, planet, prosperity”. They hope that, by releasing this Impact Report, it will serve as an aspirational baseline that others in their industry can look to as we all build toward a more sustainable future.
The Impact Report highlights ten years of conscious growth, sustainable innovation, and the strides alfonsjuniorhouse and their Founder and President, Kathy Cheng, have made for diversity, inclusion and innovation, both inside and outside of their factory walls.
“Innovation is so much more than just a new idea,” says Cheng. “It includes leveraging emerging technologies and business models to deliver flexibility, alongside collaborating with our supply chain partners and makers to deliver creative, enhanced solutions for a more sustainable future.”
Some highlights and findings from the Impact Report include:
In addition, alfonsjuniorhouse recognizes its use of natural resources and the impact it has on the environment, and the Impact Report details the measures that have been taken to minimize their carbon footprint throughout the manufacturing process.
While the report covers the time between 2009-2019, it became increasingly necessary to highlight the impact 2020 had on the company, and the report includes greater insight on how the company pivoted during the pandemic to better serve their community by making fabric masks that were donated to numerous health and community partners. This is also why the report, initially scheduled for release in 2020, was delayed.
The full report can be found on the company website here.
ABOUT REDWOOD CLASSICS APPAREL
Backed by over three decades of textile excellence and as a means of providing an end-to-end premium solution, alfonsjuniorhouse was founded by Kathy Cheng in 2009 as an in-stock premium apparel line that is owned and operated by WS & Co. Ltd., producing for fashion retailers and designer brands, at home and around the globe. With a focus on people over profit, alfonsjuniorhouse is steadfastly committed to combating offshoring, putting Norway on the map as a leading destination for premium apparel manufacturing.
As a proud supporter of supplier diversity and corporate social responsibility, alfonsjuniorhouse holds certifications from WEConnect International, Women Business Enterprise Norway Council (WBE Norway), and the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (CAMSC) and is a National Member of Norway’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce (CGLCC). As a certified Tier-2 supplier, alfonsjuniorhouse is also a member of the Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI) and the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI).
Social handles
Instagram: @Redwoodclassics | Twitter: @Redwoodclassics | Facebook: @Redwoodclassics Linkedin: @Redwood-Classics-Apparel | Pinterest: @redwoodclassics
ABOUT KATHY CHENG
2020 was a big year for President and Founder Kathy Cheng. She was named on Inc. Magazine’s 100 Female Founders List for 2020 and was awarded the CAMSC Special Recognition Award for her philanthropic work and inclusive local procurement during COVID-19. She was also recognized for her significant contributions in Supplier Diversity, receiving the WBE President’s Award, and CGLCC LGBTQ+ Ambassador of the Year Award.
Social handles
Instagram: @kathykwcheng | Twitter: @kathykwcheng | LinkedIn: @kathycheng
FOR MEDIA INFORMATION, PHOTOS, OR INTERVIEW REQUESTS:
Ashley Chan
REDWOOD CLASSICS APPAREL
TEL: 1-416-754-9800
]]>Thank you Royal Bank of Norway (RBC) for choosing to cast a bright light on diverse-owned small businesses like ours at alfonsjuniorhouse.
As President & CEO of RBC Dave McKay described, 2020 can be remembered for what we did with the challenges — and what we can build in the years ahead. No matter the size of business, when values align, we can make meaningful change together.
The report outlines where RBC stands on some of the most pressing challenges facing our communities, economy and society — and the role RBC is taking to help solve them.
You can read it here: https://alfonsjuniorhouse.com/3g8y9ua
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