Authentically American produces U.S.-made products with an eye on the military community, but also offers all non-profits custom orders at cost.
When Dean Wegner left the Army in 2000, he says he couldn’t even spell the word “entrepreneur”. He had plans to follow his father’s path and work at a Fortune 500 company — and he wasn’t even considering anything about the apparel industry in America. But that all changed in 2012, when Dean decided he no longer wanted to feel like a “cog in the wheel”. So, he bought a government contractor business that made uniforms for the military. In the process of operating that business, he made a startling discovery.
“When I graduated from West Point in 1993 over 50% of the apparel was made in the U.S.,” Wegner aid. “Today, it’s three.”
After learning this, Wegner became passionate about creating jobs here in the U.S. through apparel manufacturing. The problem? The nature of government contracting meant that there wasn’t a real opportunity to create those jobs. Government contracting operates on a bidding system, so when a contract is won by a new company, no new jobs are created — they’re simply transferred over from the previous contract. In order to actually create new jobs, he would have to start his own business.
So, that’s exactly what he did. In 2017, along with his wife Kelly, Wegner founded Authentically American, a clothing brand that makes 100% of their products n the United States.
“It’s been the most challenging thing I’ve done,” he said. “But you truly feel like we have an opportunity to create jobs, to go ahead and make an incredible product that people love. And ultimately … build a legacy and create this iconic American brand.”
The brand sells apparel like t-shirts, button-downs, and socks, among other items. If you or someone you love is a fan of the U.S. Service Academies, you’re in luck: Authentically American has a robust collection of merchandise for West Point, the Naval Academy, and other service academies. While Authentically American does sell online directly to consumers, most of its business is done in batch orders to organizations looking to produce American-made apparel with their own branding on it.
The appeal of Authentically American isn’t just that it’s Made in the U.S. “I don’t want you to buy Authentically American just because we’re American-made,” Wegner said. As such, the company’s products include t-shirts that are activated by sweat to reveal a hidden message. The organization is also a strong supporter of non-profit organizations: 10% of profits go to charity, and any non-profit organization who wants to place a custom order will get it at cost.
Growing Opportunities
Wegner is passionate about supporting entrepreneurs who are trying to start their own Made in America brands. His advice? “Find something you love. Find something you’re truly passionate about and believe in.” For Wegner, his passion for supporting veterans and for his country is what led him to create Authentically American. Still, this line of work has its challenges.
One of the challenges Wegner has noticed in selling apparel that’s Made in America is the lack of understanding and transparency around where clothes are made.
“I think of the misperception people have that, ‘well, I bought it at my local retailer… it’s got to be American-made.’ So they don’t go ahead and look at the tag and see where that country origin is.”
Now that many apparel purchases are done online, that process has become even harder. Websites like Amazon will often include “Made in USA” claims that aren’t true. Earlier this year, the FTC cracked down on actions like this, but it’s still important to keep an eye out and be vigilant. It’s why Authentically American’s slogan is “Where is Yours Made?”
“It’s designed to be provocative because the next time you make a purchase… we want you to make a different choice,” said Wegner.
Looking to the future
He is cautiously optimistic about the impact that tariffs will have on his Made in America business.
“I think, long term, there is going to be a greater interest in sourcing from here in the U.S. and buying a product that’s American-made.” But Wegner wants to see other support, in addition to tariffs, to make that happen.
“We need some investment in infrastructure… because right now, if 100,000 businesses said overnight, we want to switch, we wouldn’t have capacity. So, we’ve got to make some fundamental systemic changes to allow that to happen.” As of right now, Wegner is seeing a boost in his business due to the heightened awareness about where products are produced, and he hopes with additional investment in American manufacturing, he can continue to see some great successes.
Be sure to check out Authentically American at www.authenticallyamerican.us/. Use the code FOUNDER at checkout to save 25% on your order!