When we published our resolutions in January 2021, we had no idea what the year ahead would hold. As we reflect on the year, we are blown away by both the incredible support of the GOEX family and by the incredible challenges we all faced. I know we’ve said it many times over the past months but thank you for working with us through a myriad of delays and supply chain challenges. Now, let's take a few minutes to celebrate.
We honestly wish we could have done this better. Continued unrest in Haiti caused us to put minimal work on our team there. We wanted to respect the stress involved in simply coming to work every day. None of us were able to visit them during 2021 – we truly miss the ability to connect face to face and offer them encouragement and gratitude. We hope that when you pick up a GOEX garment as you’re getting dressed that you can take a moment to think about the hands that made it, to feel the threads that connect you, the wearer, with them, the makers. Despite a challenging year, our team & their families have hope because of you.
In 2021 we added not only recycled zippers but eco-cotton and eco-fleece options. You can now purchase a hoodie or crew made from a triblend fleece that’s 50% recycled just like your favorite tees – how cool is that?
Thanks to our amazing clients, we added four jobs in Kansas City and 14 in Haiti this year. We did indeed sell more tees AND create more jobs!
We hosted three live print events in 2021 and look forward to more in 2022. We also saw many of our clients in person in our retail store throughout the year. We loved seeing all of you – please visit again soon.
We can’t say thank you enough to all of you in the GOEX family. This was an incredible year and we owe it all to you.
We learned a lot in regard to strategy and creative problem solving in 2021 and that’s the spirit we’re cultivating in 2022.
We know a lot of you sacrificed your first or even second choice of garment in working with us in 2021. We have done everything in our power to place fabric orders way in advance and decrease transit times in order to get garments to our shelves as quickly as possible. By 2nd quarter of 2022, we are on target to have a significantly improved stock allowing us to better service your orders with excellence.
We will continue to build on the work of helping you feel connected to the people who make your garments both in Haiti and in Kansas City. Look for stories and other content via email, Instagram live and (new for 2022) TikTok! We want to know what you want to know about us so call, email or DM us questions anytime.
At GOEX, we love adding purpose to other brands. It’s especially fun when our products create revenue for independent and fair trade retailers. This enables a larger community of buyers across the country to both support local retailers and care for families with their purchases. If you have a favorite local store that we should work with, please make an introduction. Our talented creative team will continue to create graphics that are easily customizable for any market. We’re also committed to expanding our presence in wholesale marketplaces to make purchasing as convenient as possible.
We added a lot of team members in both Haiti and Kansas City during 2021 which is SO exciting. Thank you to all of you for your patience and grace as we trained new team members. In 2022, we’re excited to dial in processes and detailed training and serve you with a highly efficient, best in class team. We can’t do our part in sustaining jobs without you and we care deeply about servicing your orders with excellence every time.
Again, 2021 was a miraculous year for GOEX. We accomplished much and feel we’ve really come together as a team and as a community. This year we’re dedicated to teamwork. Whether that’s working with local businesses to help make dreams come true or taking a moment for team building, we are fully committed to the team. Thanks for your support and encouragement.
Cheers to 2022!
JESSICA RAY
Executive Director
