[edit] double post

change regime/ethics and then we'll start to do business

Can't think when that has ever worked. China expanded massively under sanctions, and now the option is irrelevent as the internal market is so huge.
IMHO, barring external forces, like invasion, it is the people that keep a regime in place or not. If the people are shut off from knowing what life 'might' be like, they won't know the mess they are in, and could not imagine doing anything about it.

i have a couple of howies meroino tops and they are nice and good quality (bought about half price in a sale) i also havea pair of jeans from them, dead comfyhey are. A while back there was an article in one of there catalogues about a toaster that only coooked on one side, they nver sent it back but it always bugged them so they would never buy that make again. It went on to say they would rectify any manufacturing defects of their goods. About 2 eks into my jeans lifethe stitching came away (not massively) but on the front of the fly. A little dischuffed i packed them up and sent them back to them, gave them a call to let em know the problem and that the eans were on the way. Was told no problem they would be sorted. About a month later they found my heans in their retrn dept and said they could not fix the stitching or exchange as they did not have nay more of that model. I could take them to a tailor to get them stitched. I don't buy howies anymore.

..Thought not.

hora, as i said earlier I welcome any emails to howies for more information, but I will not post specific details on an open forum.

A factory owner can not survive on one customer. What happens if the customer goes out of business, decides to go with their secondary supplier or a new supplier altogether. Factories always have more than one customer and are always keeping alookout. Theres alot of competition from rival factories, not just in China but globally from Mauritius, Bangladesh, Morocco etc etc etc etc. Therefore there is no way you can police how a factory treats its staff if they have different customers etc etc. Sorry. I dont buy into corporate ethics. After all, you are owned by Timberland.

Like I said, lets all wait for the new anti-corporate brand to emerge with brand values intune with free-thinkers and subtle/subliminal-ecospeak 😆

If David + Howies were as fanatically cynical as Hora makes out, I'd guess he wouldn't be leaving + they'd put their feet up + go along with the corporate ride. Not sure if many of us has got the balance between making a living, trying to do the right thing + having fun + adventure on the way, totally dialed.
Good luck to those like David that try + expose themselves to the scrutiny of the on-line critics.

So come on idave, don't be shy, what d'you do?

My company sources sustainable and ethically produced cashmere from Mongolia for designers and fashion labels. That's Outer Mongolia, the Buddhist democracy, not Inner Mongolia the region of the Peoples Republic of China. Funny enough, we could do some cool base layers for Howies, much softer and warmer than merino…….

Haven;t managed to read all these replies – business owner trying to sew up another company sale 😀

Irrespective of industry and environmental ethos – you start a business for your own reasons. Then you build it a bit, then you have a decision. Keep it small and maintain margins and quality as you see everything that goes on and you can be agile. Or seek to grow using capital or as I call it 'OPM' other peoples money. Now, business is business and I haven't buit businesses because I feel the love, i feel the cash. I would suggest that Timberland felt Howies met their purchase criteria on a variety of levels. But ultimately they'll be wanting to bleed the sucker dry and get maximum return for investment.
For anyone that finds this unacceptable I suggest you maybe need to harden up and realise thats how the world goes round.

PeterPoddy – Member

So does Coca Cola and McDonalds. Doesnt mean you will buy their products.

That's gotta be one of the pooerst compariosons I've ever read………

though i'd once have put innocent in the same grouping as howies, and who part owns them these days?