Fall River, Massachusetts used to be a hotspot for garment manufacturing, but in the last 20-30 years, businesses began to shut down or move production overseas. The New England Shirt Company was one of those manufacturers, and in 2009, it also fell victim to the recession. Fortunately, Robert Kidder — a former employee at the plant — had the guts to reopen the company under a new guise. He succeeded in getting the necessary financing, and now the reborn New England Shirt Co. is making 1,000 bespoke shirts a week for small retailers. Kidder says that there's a market for well-made American products out there, and that manufacturers can thrive even in today's economy.
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