When everything begins…
1980 – Morrison Apparel is founded by Joseph and Delrose Budnik in Morrison, Missouri.
Joseph Budnik, armed with his 20 years of engineering experience with Levi Strauss and other clothing manufacturers, launches Morrison Apparel with his wife Delrose.
The initial business startup employed three sewing operators and all cutting and sewing of ski wear were done in the basement of their home outside the town of Morrison in rural Missouri.
Joseph and Delrose split their time between clothing manufacturing, cattle farming, row cropping, and raising their two children; Andrea and Shaun.
The American Dream of owning and operating your family owned business is realized.
1982 – Cut and Sew Contracts Develop with Large Clothing Manufacturers.
Morrison Apparel transitions from ski wear to more consistent uniform manufacturing programs from large clothing manufacturing companies in St. Louis and Kansas City.
Morrison Apparel finds its niche with products considered too small for the larger manufacturers in the St. Louis and Kansas City area. Too small for them, but big to Morrison Apparel.
1985 – Morrison Apparel moves to Chamois, MO
The growing demand for cutting and sewing low volume/short run product lines, for now, a growing number of large clothing manufacturers and wholesalers prompts Joseph and Delrose to take another risk of moving all manufacturing to Chamois, MO.
Originally a church, the building was transformed into a clothing factory. To this day, Joseph and Delrose Budnik believe that the factory only survived through some very financially tough times because Morrison Apparel was within this former church.
1989 – The Beginning of Something Bigger Than the Budniks Imagined (United States Postal Service)
Maybe Joseph and Delrose were great salespeople, maybe Morrison Apparel had exceptional quality, maybe Morrison Apparel was less expensive, or maybe it was because Morrison Apparel was manufacturing out of an old church, but Morrison Apparel received a gift. This gift was the United States Postal Service Program.
Starting out as only the production of culottes for the Postal Service, this program grew to many styles of slacks, shorts, skirts, skorts, coveralls.
With the USPS program matched with the willingness to still manufacture low volume/short run programs, Morrison Apparel achieved steady growth through the next decade. Joseph and Delrose started spending much less time farming and much more time sewing.
2003 – Transition of Management
As Morrison Apparel grew bigger, Joseph and Delrose also grew older. The time had come to slowly transition from one generation to another.
Joseph and Delrose groomed their son Shaun from a very early age to know every aspect of the clothing manufacturing business. They insisted that Shaun not only perform the management and engineering side of the business but also perform every sewing operation within the factory. Shaun’s dad would remind him regularly, “You can’t run a sewing factory if you don’t know how to sew”.
After Shaun earned his MBA and having received his true education on the factory floor over the years. Joseph and Delrose handed the day to day operations over to their son.
2005 – Transition of Ownership
The newlyweds Shaun and Margie Budnik decided to take a risk of their own, as did Shaun’s parents many years before. The American Dream of owning their own business was achieved.
Shaun and Margie Budnik bought Morrison Apparel from Joseph and Delrose Budnik at the kitchen table, directly above where it all started so many years back in the basement of their home. A couple signed papers, a couple loans, and a handshake is all it took to get it done.
Delrose, now playing the role of mom and not an owner, commented after the signing, “Why in the world would you want to stay in the sewing business?” Shaun’s reply, “Because I found out it is the only thing I am good at”.
2007 – Expansion
With the Chamois facility at capacity and a new opportunity for the production of woven shirts, Shaun decided to build a new facility in Hermann, MO. Now with a pants factory in Chamois, MO and a woven shirt factory in Hermann, MO, Morrison Apparel instantly became a more marketable company.
Morrison Apparel was now producing CMT and full package slacks, shorts, skirts, culottes, dress shirts, work shirts, lab coats, scrubs, coveralls, sweatshirts, and more.
2009 – Dominican Republic
Morrison Apparel was busting at the seams with capacity in both the Chamois and Hermann facilities. Something had to be done to relieve the pressure. While most of what Morrison Apparel manufactured had to be sewn in the United States by law, the most rapidly growing customer did not and could be moved offshore.
With the help of this rapidly growing customer, Morrison Apparel took a leap that has moved the company forward with endless possibilities.
With two partner companies with five factories in Santiago & Esperanza in the Dominican Republic, Morrison Apparel expanded into all segments of the clothing manufacturing business.
Shaun’s vision became reality with customers very small and very large alike, shipping fabric from all over the United States to Miami for consolidation. Full containers being shipped to the Dominican Republic for de-consolidation and sent to various factories for cutting and sewing. Each week, these finished garments from the various factories are consolidated on a container for the return trip back to Miami and distributed throughout the United States.