Truro's longstanding garment factory, Stanfields Ltd., is advancing once again through a recent partnership with another of Nova Scotia's largest garment manufacturers, East Coast Lifestyle.
“Tremendous synergy” was the term Rob Newcombe, vice-president of marketing and sales for Stanfield’s, used to describe the recent partnership with East Coast Lifestyle for the launch of a winter collection, available Feb. 1.
The collection will include T-shirts, hoodies, socks, toques, underwear and Stanfield’s long underwear, for both men and women. Distribution will be through East Coast Lifestyle’s website and their retail locations (two in Halifax and one in Cavendish, P.E.I.) and, eventually, at Pseudio stores across Atlantic Canada.
“We’ve been keeping people warm for more than 100 years now, so the timing is right,” Newcombe said, before addressing partnerships for Stanfield’s.
“We have had some collaborative partner relationships in the past. I think what is unique about this relationship is working with a brand that is based here in Nova Scotia that has the reach of East Coast Lifestyle,” Newcombe said, adding the collaboration came together naturally and fairly quickly.
“Naturally in the sense of what both brands represent,” he said, “we have a long heritage of being made in Nova Scotia – being a Canadian company – and I think what East Coast Lifestyles represents is the same thing, being proud of your roots."
Newcombe said it came together very quickly; happening in late October and early November and they’ve already launched a winter collection.
"Obviously, when partnering with somebody, you want to make sure you’re aligned on a lot of things and this checked a lot of the boxes quickly,” he said.
East Coast Lifestyle founder and CEO Alex MacLean said they have long admired Stanfield’s.
“To us, this is a way to get two stellar Nova Scotian brands together and into the hands of so many people who want to rep Nova Scotia, from coast to coast,” MacLean said.
Truro & Colchester Chamber of Commerce executive director Sherry Martell noted the collaborative effort reflects the organization's slogan: Partners in Business.
“We believe very strongly there is strength in partnerships, so any businesses which can work together to build, adds to the benefit of the entire economy,” Martell said.
She talked about another recent Stanfield’s partnership which was critical in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Stanfield’s is no stranger to finding strategic partnerships with the work they were able to do with Intertape Polymer, also a Truro-based company, to make the medical gowns which were much needed across Canada,” she said. “This is just a natural step for a company which has been an anchor in Nova Scotia, not just Truro and Colchester communities, looking for ways to support other business while growing their own.”
Product prices will range between $16 to $79.
