Competitors Moved Overseas, But Exxel Outdoors Bet on America — and Succeeded

The Manufacturing Report

When a sleeping bag factory in Haleyville, Ala., was on the brink of shutting down, Exxel Outdoors bought it, upgraded it — and managed to create even more jobs. Today, the factory produces more than 2 million sleeping bags every year, which are sold at retailers like Walmart. "What they saw as a lost business, we just saw it as an opportunity," Exxel's CEO Harry Kazazian recalls. But it hasn't been without challenges. "I spend more money to give coffee to my employees than some countries spend on their labor," Kazazian says. In this episode, Kazazian tells host Scott Paul how Exxel found Made in America success.