Wilhelm Forms CBI Group

Walter Wilhelm Associates LLC, an apparel-industry consultancy firm, has formed a management team to help manufacturers in the Caribbean Basin Initiative territory transition to full-package production.

The Utah-based company said the new team will include Tom Ball, Kimberly Broxham, Michael Fieman, Heidi Scheller and Solange Muniz-Rodriguez.

“The SARS scare and the unsettled situation in the Middle East have made a lot of the U.S. retailers and brands rethink their strategy on production in this hemisphere, but interest was growing even before these situations arose,” said Chief Executive Officer Walter Wilhelm. “Wisely administered, the CBI territories make a lot of sense, shaving days, even weeks, out of the time-to-market cycle. This translates into improved competitive positioning and true dollar savings. Since Walter Wilhelm Associates focuses on streamlining the ’front-end’ processes, an important part of our market is companies seeking to improve efficiencies in full-package production.”

Wilhelm helps companies refine merchandise planning, design, product development, and associated application technologies and processes. Other areas of specialty include fabric and color management, QA testing, calendar development, supply-chain visibility, production planning and sourcing. —Robert McAllister