Origin USA, the apparel and footwear brand Pete Roberts launched in Maine in 2011, now employs more than 300 people across three factories in Maine and North Carolina, Sourcing Journal reported on September 2, 2025, in an interview with Roberts.
From a first jean to 30,000 pairs in a day
Origin, which Roberts runs with business partner Jocko Willink, launched its first jean in 2019. Denim is now about a quarter of its business. On Black Friday 2024, the company generated $6 million in sales and shipped 30,000 pairs of jeans, more than its total annual sales in 2019, according to Sourcing Journal.
Roberts said the hardest part was making jeans consistently at scale. The company could not sell its first 500 pairs and donated many of them. Former Wrangler pattern makers then helped re-engineer its patterns and set up inspection points and tolerances. Roberts said Origin weaves some of its own fabric, cuts and sews in its own factories, and makes footwear in Maine from USA-sourced components. It does not subcontract jeans, jiu-jitsu gis or footwear.
“‘Built by freedom’ means that every component came from a U.S. supply chain.”
Pete Roberts, founder, Origin USA, to Sourcing Journal
Roberts said the company is releasing a 100 percent cotton jean and its first women’s jean, with selvedge denim planned for the following year. He also said government support for small domestic apparel makers is “not even close” to enough.
Why it matters for Made in USA
Roberts said Origin trademarked “built by freedom” because a USA label can be read loosely, for example when parts are made abroad and only assembled here. Under the FTC standard, an unqualified Made in USA claim already requires that all or virtually all of a product be made in the USA, including its significant parts. Brands that control the fabric, trims and sewing are best placed to prove that.
The interview also shows that domestic denim can scale. Training, patterns and quality control, not just demand, set how fast a USA factory can grow.
FAQ
Where does Origin USA make its products?
In three factories in Maine and North Carolina, according to Sourcing Journal.
What does “built by freedom” mean?
Roberts said it is Origin’s trademarked term for products where every component comes from a USA supply chain.
How big is Origin’s denim business?
Denim is about a quarter of the business. The company shipped 30,000 pairs of jeans on Black Friday 2024.
Source & credit
Originally published by Sourcing Journal (Angela Velasquez) on September 2, 2025: “Inside Origin USA: Founder Pete Roberts on Building a Made in America Movement“