Interior To Prioritize Sourcing Uniforms Made In The United States

The Interior Department, which has been sourcing agency uniforms from a Tennessee company that makes some components abroad, announced Monday that moving forward it will prioritize the purchase of uniforms and other textiles made in the United States. This comes in response to Donald Trump's Buy American agenda, which aims to use the federal government's purchasing power to reinvigorate America's industrial base.

"President Trump has made clear that American taxpayer dollars should support American workers and American manufacturing," said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. "By adopting this Buy American policy, the Department of the Interior is putting that commitment into action. The men and women who serve on our public lands should wear uniforms made by American hands."

The Department of the Interior purchases approximately $11 million in uniforms annually. With this announcement, the Department will prioritize spending those dollars on uniforms made in America. However, the change will likely happen gradually, as there are uniform contracts currently in place that would prevent immediate changes.

For example, the current uniform contract for the National Park Service extends from 2022-2027. The contract is with Workwear Outfitters, a subsidiary of VF Imagewear, which is based out of Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to NPS that contract provides uniforms for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

According to handbooks for the National Park Service, employees are offered a $600 uniform credit when they are hired. However, Director’s Order #43, which lays out service wide uniform program guidelines, states that “Such allowances are provided to help defray the cost of wearing a uniform. They are not intended to completely cover the cost of all uniform needs.” This suggests the uniform may cost more than $600.

Park employees are also offered an annual uniform replacement credit of approximately $240. This is meant to help employees replace any parts of their uniform that have worn out during the past year.

Currently, civilian agencies, including Interior, generally operate under the Buy American Act, which was passed in 1933 and requires agencies to prefer U.S.-made goods, but it allows foreign manufacturing if:

• The U.S. product is significantly more expensive
• The item is commercially available only overseas
• The procurement is under certain thresholds
• The item qualifies as a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product

Most uniform garments fall into this commercial clothing category, so they can legally be manufactured abroad.

Some of the items that form part of the uniform are currently made in the United States, including the iconic flat-brimmed ranger hat. It is produced by Stratton Hats, which makes their hats at a factory in Pennsylvania.

However, VF sources much of the uniform from off-shore manufacturers, including in Mexico, Central America, and Southeast Asia.

If Interior moves to buying only U.S.-made uniforms, employees can expect their uniform costs to increase significantly, considering that manufacturing clothing in the U.S. is often much more expensive than in places like Honduras or Vietnam, where workers' wages are lower. It’s unclear if the uniform credit offered by the federal government would increase to match. If it does, it will inevitably increase federal spending.

“When a family pulls up to the gates of Yellowstone or stands at the rim of the Grand Canyon, they are experiencing something uniquely and purely American, protected by rangers who have stood watch over this land for generations,” said Tyler Kellogg, advisor to the Secretary. “The uniform they wear should be every bit as American as the mission it represents.”  

On March 27, the Department and the Made in America Office will host an industry day at the Department of the Interior, providing an opportunity for businesses to learn more about the Department's textile requirements and how to compete for future contracts.