TRAVERSE CITY, MI — TentCraft is excited to announce a new partnership with sustainable bag company, Priorlife LLC, for the creation of our media wall bags. These eco-friendly bags are ethically made in Northern Michigan using upcycled TentCraft fabric end rolls that would otherwise end up in a landfill.
The initiative is another example of TentCraft’s commitment to leading a more sustainable operation, all while supporting a local business that’s on a mission to make the event industry greener.
“Our new partnership with Priorlife is a win all around for TentCraft in a number of ways. As an organization, we aim to source as much of our components as we can within the US, and regionally from Midwest, and especially Michigan, companies.” said Supply Chain Manager Wendy VanderMeulen. “Reshoring this product not only saves us enormously on lead times and shipping costs, but it allows us to utilize scrap material and support a local company doing great things for the community and environment.”
TentCraft previously relied on the global supply chain to source media wall bags. Because Priorlife is also located in Traverse City, there are no shipping-related emissions for this product. The finished bags will travel distance will have been reduced from 6,500 miles down to 2 miles. This means that in addition to being more sustainable, the Priorlife partnership also speeds up lead times. The previous ordering time was 6 months, while the upcycled bags have a 6-week lead time.
Priorlife estimates that 1,568 feet of material will be rescued from the landfill with each order.
MORE ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Priorlife is a sustainable bag company that creates promotional and retail products from upcycled banners and recycled vinyl from the banner industry. We are also working with Priorlife to upcycle scrap vinyl for use in creating their signature totes. Priorlife also recently struck a partnership to create vinyl bags for Michigan lifestyle retailer, M22 and recently launched their own online store.
Founded in 2007, TentCraft has grown into the largest American manufacturer of custom tents and structures, primarily for the event industry. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, the company quickly pivoted to become a leading manufacturer of tents used for mobile testing and vaccine administration. That work earned TentCraft the 2020 Scaling Up North award. Today, the company employs about 90 people and is frequently recognized as a top place to work in Northern Michigan. Read more about our sustainability efforts here.
