• Linkdin

Interview with Michael Lands

Michael Lands
Michael Lands
Partner
Source ID
Source ID

Source tagging will become a must
RFID tagging and labeling is fast expanding its reach in the developed markets like USA and Canada, which means that this industry is likely to see an expansion in the coming years. Michael Lands, partner at Source ID discusses the Canadian market for apparel and footwear tagging and labeling and the strengths of Source ID in this arena with Fibre2Fashion.com

What is the size of the market in Canada for apparel and footwear tagging and labeling?

We believe the apparel and footwear retail market, which is the primary market we serve in Canada today, to be about Canadian $ 25 billion. Like the US retail market, a bulk of apparel and footwear is imported into Canada.
 

What are the upcoming technological innovations that the tagging and labeling industry for apparel and footwear can expect this year?

Adoption of RFID item-tagging by retailers for their products is beginning to take hold in Canada, as evidenced by The Bay announcing its plans to implement RFID. As retailers adopt RFID, it will mean that their apparel and footwear suppliers will have to RFID tag their products (referred to as source tagging), prior to shipping them to the retailer.

How has the demand surged or flattened in the last one year?

Demand for our production in Canada has been relatively stable over the past several years.

What managerial changes do you expect from your acquisition by Fineline Technologies?

We do not foresee any immediate changes in our management. The whole promise behind the acquisition was to ensure that Source ID continues to provide the excellent service, turnaround responses and quality products to our clients, as we have always done. Being a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fineline Technologies now, allows Source ID to provide many more products as well as being able to fulfill our Canadian customers' ticket needs for their overseas suppliers.

Which region is your largest market? What are your expansion plans?

Ontario and Quebec represent our largest Canadian markets.

What is the kind of spends allocated towards R&D?

As a small company, we have not been able to invest a great deal of money in new technologies, which is the one reason we are very excited about the acquisition. Fineline has been investing heavily in new technologies and services such as integrated quick turn RFID tags, web-based supply-chain services and analytical tools.

Who are your major clients?

We are not permitted by our customers to disclose who we do business with, but we do business with majority of the big retailers and brands in Quebec and Ontario provinces.
Published on: 11/09/2015

DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.

Other Interviews

Christian Guinet
Secretary General
French Textile Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (UCMTF)
 
Seth Casden
Co-founder and CEO
Hologenix LLC - CELLIANT
 
Folker Stachetzki
Marketing Manager
Brother Internationale Industriemaschinen GmbH