A story of 20+ years in the industry.

Our story started in 2002. It has been a (very) bumpy road to get where we stand today. 20+ years, we are active in this industry.

So if you are not satisfied with your current manufacturing partner or just starting up, just read the piece below, by Kevin Van Lancker, Founder at Sportswear of Tomorrow.

“Hi, my name is Kevin Van Lancker, born in Belgium, now living in Romania. I am the founder of Sportswear of Tomorrow. I want to write this story, with my own words, from my own experiences in this industry, in which I am now active for over 20 years.

First, a little background: My study-background is in IT and my sports background is in inline speed skating, as a former member of the Belgian national team of which I was a member from when I was 16 years old and attended European and World Championships.

In 2002, at the young age of 20, I was appointed a distributor for BONT Skates International. That is the company that later on formed BONT Cycling Shoes. Complimentary to those skates, I wanted to offer my skating peers some skating apparel.

Tried to source in Colombia first, as inline speed skating is a big sport there, so I assumed that, with so much demand, pricing would be lower, and the offer -in terms of quality- would be better. Well, that didn’t work out! Shipment delays, errors in production, .. you name it. On top of that, came all the communication issues due to language as well as time zone differences. Not to mention all the hassle with customs, returns and so forth.

In 2009: So, after that ended, I moved the production to a Belgian manufacturer. Went quite well in the beginning, but after a while, the same issues appeared, which eventually led to me losing my credibility as a reliable supplier in the skating market.

Unfortunately, we experienced first hand that if you pick the wrong supplier, you may be having the best network of potential customers, the best marketing strategy but if you have no control over your supply chain, your brand is at risk. You need to partner with a factory that understands your needs and works with you closely, rather than having a classic supplier/customer relationship. We had build a fabulous brand, supplied most of the national skating teams in Europe, worked with stores that sold our brand, but unfortunately we had to close it down in 2010 because we did not have the right manufacturing partner.

I eventually had to close down the business, lost almost everything I built and found myself a job. I started working for IBM where I learned a lot in terms of structuring the business, reporting and so much more. But, I missed the sports world, where people are more easy-going.

In 2012: After 3 years, I quit my job at IBM and moved to Latvia. A big step into the unknown. But, research showed me that during the USSR, a lot of textile manufacturing took place in the Baltics, so I thought it would be easy or easier, to find staff. It didn’t go all too easy, but, eventually we managed to put together a small team of 10, that took care of pattern development, graphic design, project management, sales, sewing, cutting and QC.

From 2017, we had the pleasure of working for a large Dutch cycling brand, which thought us to become more professional. And that it would be key to bring down the manufacturing costs. At the end of 2019, I decided to open a facility in Aiud (Romania). 3 months later, COVID19 hit us.

From 2020: The first months were challenging, but then demand for printed masks as well as leisurewear and sublimated leggings increased. And later in the year, when people were allowed to do sports again, demand for sportswear (and mainly cycling apparel) boomed.

We started off being a traditional manufacturer of sports garments to brands but are slowly turning into a technology company that can still cover sewing services and product development, but, all products will have the latest tech built-in.

Today: We’ve built incredible teams that works across 3 different countries (Latvia, Romania and Poland) and today our company is recognized as one of the best sportswear manufacturing plants in Europe to brands worldwide.

We have developed over 200 products, ready for customisation, but we can also work with your own patterns. As such, you can take care of the fun part, which is promoting your business.

I invite you to reach out, set up a call with us, to learn more how exactly we are different from other manufacturers.

If you are already our customer, I really appreciate your support and orders, and it’s a honour to work with so many brands from all over the world.”

Kevin Van Lancker
Founder