#49 Jose Gomez

Edwards Garment (asi/51752)
President/CEO

2023 Rank: NR

Industry Experience: 16 Years

Previous Appearances on Power 50: 0

Jose Gomez debuts on the Counselor Power 50, propelled onto the list by the deft work he’s done positioning a venerable 157-year-old company at the forefront of pivotal promo evolutions – moves that have set Counselor Top 40 supplier Edwards Garment up for success in a dynamic, fast-changing marketplace.

Gomez joined Edwards nearly 14 years ago in the position of vice president of sourcing and operations, having previously worked at Alternative Apparel. Since then, he’s led key initiatives, which have spurred the firm forward to where Edwards now believes it could surpass $100 million in North American promo revenue in 2024.

Take supply chain: Under Gomez’s orchestration, Edwards Garment has geographically diversified its sourcing, a strategy that’s focused, in no small part, on producing product nearer to home. Edwards’ work in this area anticipated a broad industry nearshoring trend in which suppliers have sought to move more manufacturing out of China, including to countries closer to North America. It paid off big when Edwards’ robust near-market production position helped the firm grow sales 41% year over year from 2021 to 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as Edwards remained well-stocked while some competitors grappled with inventory shortages.

First as an operations SVP and later as president (appointed in 2021) and president/CEO (appointed in 2022), Gomez’s leadership was important to integrating the acquired Bishop Custom Clothing into Edwards Garment and getting the newly branded EdwardsX custom clothing division off the ground.

Gomez has also re-energized the Edwards Garment brand, injecting a more modern feel, while still maintaining the company’s longstanding legacy as a dependable top-notch provider of apparel for uniform programs and more.

“I’m proud of how we’ve expanded the position of Edwards as a company and as a brand,” says Gomez, who has ensured the company operates a socially responsible supply chain. “We’ve updated our branding, our products and services and are now a stronger supplier with a dominant position in multiple industries and markets.”