September, 2012

Dear Friends:

For WomenSpirit, 2012 marks 17 years in business. We continue to grow thanks to you and have steadily added more jobs, we now employ 12 associates. All of our robes, vestments and most of the blouses are made in Kansas City, Missouri. We have grown to a level that has led us to outsource part of the blouse production. A woman-owned contractor in Dallas, Texas is making some of our clergy shirts now. I apologize if you have been waiting for a backordered blouse, we are addressing this issue and you will see positive results as we get caught up over the next couple of months.

We are so proud that we have generated good jobs that pay fair wages. Last year we began offering health insurance to our staff. We had tried several times in the past but were not able to. However, we felt it was a social justice issue and with the tax credits that were offered beginning in early 2011 that helped us go ahead with this great benefit for our employees. It is a huge expense but we are committed to doing what is right.

Creating jobs in the United States is a big topic right now with the election on the horizon. I’m not running for office, I mention it because having created this company and coming to work every day is so satisfying! I love the sound of sewing machines and the knife running at the cutting table. The jobs in the garment industry that employed so many people from the 1930’s through 1980’s in the U.S. have mostly gone overseas now. I do not begrudge the people in other countries having good work, they need it also. It is a low profit business and garment manufacturing companies have moved overseas for cheap labor.

All of our costs have gone up drastically in the last two years. Fabric prices have increased due to the rise in commodities such as cotton and silk. You know about oil prices, which caused cost increases in polyester and for transporting the fabric here from China. (Most fabric for apparel is now made in China.) We have increased our wages because the majority of our staff has been with us over five years, and then the addition of health insurance benefits. You will see that we have to raise our prices slightly later this year. We have absorbed cost increases in the past few years but cannot continue to do that and remain a viable business.

We strive to be your best source of women’s clergy garments in design, fabric, quality and service. Our pledge is to provide you with striking, well-made robes and other garments and to keep you coming back to WomenSpirit for years to come. We are proud of our products, and we stand behind them completely. We guarantee customer satisfaction.

We made a big leap in 2010 and started Abiding Spirit. It is our fraternal branch, with well designed robes and vestments for men. Please refer your male colleagues to it at abidingspirit.com.

We love to hear from you! We listen and create new products from your input. Please keep your suggestions and comments coming. You can e-mail us from our contact page or click here: customerservice@womenspirit.com.

Blessings,

Patty Fitzpatrick
Founder and Partner