Ricoma Insights Quarter 1 2020

1st QUARTER • 2020 EDITION MEET OUR NEW CEO HENRY MA NAMED CEO OF RICOMA INTERNATIONAL CORP. FEATURING… RICOMA! RECENTLY FEATURED RICOMA ARTICLES ACROSS INDUSTRY PUBLICATIONS TCIMHOEVPIDA-1C9T RICOMA INSIGHTS PUBLICATION • ISSUE 0009

As we push through 2020, with all its obstacles and challenges, I’d like to take this moment to thank our distributors, customers, suppliers and employees for taking part in making the Ricoma brand bigger, better and stronger than ever. As 2020 has already proved itself to be a hardship, we have pushed forward past the shutdown of our factory in China and the spread of the Coronavirus, and are working towards regaining full capacity in our machine production. Everyone here at Ricoma is full of spirit and full of confidence, and believes that the global pandemic will soon pass, and the company’s development will continue to move forward. However, while these changes have affected the industry and economy and also disrupted regular operations, Ricoma Insights remains a space to learn the ins and outs of our brand, vision, technological advances, new products, new areas of growth and more. With each issue of Ricoma Insights, we strive to share our most recent news and accomplishments and give insight into our industry and where it is headed. Every piece of content that we share is designed with our customers and distributors in mind, so that they have the tools and resources they need to succeed in their businesses. We aim to adapt and push boundaries with our innovative technology, 7-day after-hours customer support and top-of-the-line embroidery equipment in order to provide the highest quality of equipment and service to our customers. Through Ricoma Insights, I hope you can appreciate our vision and understand exactly what makes us stand out from the rest. With this publication we think beyond the regular forms of communication and hope to provide a visual, informational and virtual magazine that will allow you to dive deeper into our brand. FRANK MA Founder & President

1st QUARTER • 2020 EDITION In This Issue... You can read through the News and Events section to get updates on the latest in the embroidery industry and Ricoma. Dive into the Profiles section to read exclusive interviews with Ricoma staff . Finally, check out the Features section to get professional machine embroidery tips and insights. PROFILES FEATUREs News + Events 2 MEET OUR NEW CEO Henry Ma named CEO of Ricoma International Corp. 3 THE COVID-19 IMPACT Ricoma’s efforts amidst the global shutdown 4 RICOMA HEADQUARTERS INAUGURATION Mayor participates in ribbon cutting ceremony in Miami 4 FEATURING… RICOMA! Recently featured Ricoma articles across industry publications 5 RICOMA AROUND THE WORLD! Check out Ricoma at trade shows across the globe 5 FIND US ON TIKTOK! Ricoma joins the TikTok trend 6 10 HELPFUL EMBROIDERY TOOLS YOU’LL WANT (AND NEED) 8 EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Q&A with Ricoma’s Production Supervisor Mr. Liang Huawen 9 RICOMA YOUTUBE HITS 30K SUBSCRIBERS! 9 THANK YOU FROM RICOMA 10 UPCOMING EVENTS

Meet our new CEO! Henry Ma named CEO of Ricoma International Corp. H enry Ma has officially been named the new Henr y’s promotion at Ricoma follows the recent CEO of Ricoma International Corporation. success of the inaugural custom apparel conference, Founder of Ricoma, Frank Ma, will remain DecoSummit, created and hosted by Ricoma under President of the company and will alter his focus to Henr y’s leadership. He has also found success on the research and development of new products and YouTube as the host of the “Apparel Academy” global operations. series on Ricoma’s YouTube channel where he offers Formerly Ricoma’s COO, Henr y Ma joined the business advice to customers starting their own company in March 2015, and has since then worked businesses with Ricoma machiner y. to improve each facet of the embroidery machine “I am very honored and excited to take on this new manufacturing company including Marketing, Sales, role,” said Henr y. “We have experienced tremendous Service, Accounting, R&D and Human Resources. growth in the last several years, but with the “Henry has brought the company to a whole new exciting developments we have in the pipeline and level through his vision, innovation and relentless new initiatives on the horizon, we have only begun efforts,” said Frank Ma. “I believe that he, together to scratch the surface.” with all of our talented employees, will take Ricoma “I look forward to working even more closely with to new heights.” our team,” added Henr y, “And continue providing great products and excellent service to our 2 customers worldwide.”

The COVID-19 ImpacT Ricoma’s efforts amidst the global shutdown A s the world faces never before seen hardships providing them with online resources to educate and challenges, Ricoma would like to extend them throughout this difficult time. our warmest well wishes to everyone and Here are some things that Ricoma has done that you would like to assure you that we have taken every as a distributor can apply to your business: precaution to prioritize the health and safety of our employees as well as the continued success of our • Do you have more free time than you used to? international distributors. We remain committed to communicating with our distributors during this Consider creating an online training program uncertain time and continue to encourage anyone for new customers to get familiar with their to reach out to us for any and all issues that may machines or for existing customers to reference. arise in the weeks ahead. After a several week-long shut down of our factory • Continue supporting your customers: Through in China, we are relieved to announce that the COVID-19 situation is under control and as of the use of video platforms like Zoom or WeChat, March 25, almost all of our workers have been able you can assist your customers remotely through to safely return to the factory and our production is video chats. This has proven to be useful for once again running smoothly. us at Ricoma as we have moved all in-person trainings and meetings online as our customer What you can do for your customers: success team works remotely. The U.S. model • Need to train your staff ? Take a look at the While Ricoma’s staff in the U.S. remains under quarantine, we have been able to maintain a new technical training videos in the distributor continuous workflow as our staff and employees portal all about the EM-1010, MT and TC. work remotely and from the safety and comforts of their homes with the priority remaining to assist • Are you on social media? Consider creating our customers with quality support and to continue social media accounts on Facebook and Youtube and sharing some tips for your customers as they navigate through these tough times. Also, consider going live on social to do virtual demos of your machines. Our team is closely monitoring the situation and we promise to continue to support our distributors in their businesses. We remain hopeful and in good spirits as the situation progresses. In the meantime, keep following us on social media to learn more about our products and our efforts during these times. 3

Ricoma headquarters inauguration Mayor participates in ribbon cutting ceremony in Miami M ayor Roberto Martell of Medley, Florida, Mayor Martell and Ricoma President, Frank Ma visited the Ricoma headquarters on January ended the ceremony by inaugurating the new 13 for the official inauguration that took building with a ribbon cutting ceremony on the place at our brand-new Miami facility. front steps of the building. Along with his team and Ricoma executives, Mayor Martell spent the morning learning all about Ricoma’s worldwide distribution of custom apparel equipment. From the state-of-the art office spaces and embroidery machine showroom to the immense warehouse, Mayor Martell explored our new home and met employees across all departments. After watching a video presentation on Ricoma’s accomplishments, research and development, newest technologies, innovations and plans for the future, everyone headed outside for the official ceremony. Featuring… Ricoma! Recently featured Ricoma articles across industry publications Want more from Ricoma? Other than our YouTube Need to grow your Instagram following? Printwear shows, Apparel Academy & Embroidery Hub published our 5 crucial tips to growing your following and and our blog on the Ricoma website, you maintaining an effective online presence that will keep can also find us in other prominent industry blogs and you connected to your customers! Click here to read. publications. Aside from Printwear, our CEO Henry Ma, joined Terry In fact, our content team was featured in Printwear Combs and Adam Montgomery from the 2 Regular Guys Magazine twice this past quarter covering highly requested podcast for the second time in January to discuss hiring topics such as bulk patch production and tips for growing for your custom apparel business! The episode was packed your social media following. with interview tips and what qualities to look for in a good We’ve created a step by step instructional article that employee. You can watch it here on the 2 Regular Guys not only explains the pros and cons of the two different podcast YouTube channel. processes to create patches, but also gives you tips and And finally, WeCanMagazine, a publication written for tricks for mastering fabric-filled and thread-filled patches. entrepreneurs, asked Ricoma to contribute an article Check out the article on Printwear here! detailing efficient time management tips that are crucial to cutting down time in between projects and throughout your day. Read it here. 4

Ricoma around the world! Check out Ricoma at trade shows across the globe Location: Lyon, France Location: Cairo, Egypt Event: C!Print Event: STITCH & TEX 2020 EXPO C!Print, a Trade Fair for Visual Communication, Although attendance at STITCH & TEX 2020 EXPO in Digital and Textile Printing held in Lyon, France took Cairo, Egypt was affected by COVID-19, Ricoma was place at the beginning of February. still able to showcase our machines to the attendees that were able to make it to the show. Technology At this event, our distributor in France took the included our famous semi-commercial machine, the opportunity to showcase the latest technology, the EM-1010, pictured above. RCM-1501TC-8S Appliqué Laser Positioning Device. This intelligent visual recognition software and camera assists in perfect placement of appliqué in embroidery projects and scaling patch production. Find us on TikTok! Ricoma joins the TikTok trend click here! T he latest trend to hit social media comes in 5 the form of 15 to 60 second long videos on the platform, TikTok! Perfect for showcasing quick and simple DIY and embroidery projects, Ricoma has started their very own TikTok channel -- and we already have four clips uploaded! Our goal with this channel is to bring fun, short videos to our audience, and expand our brand’s reach across all relevant social media platforms. If you’re on TikTok or want to keep up to date with the clips we’re posting, make sure to give us a follow: @ricomahq Also, let us know on Facebook or Instagram what you want to see on our TikTok channel!

10 helpful embroidery tools you’ll want (and need) If you’ve ever struggled with machine embroidery, it could be #3: Hooptech Slimline Clamps because you didn’t have the right tools. Using HoopTech’s Slimline Clamping Embroidery tools and accessories make it faster and easier to embroider System is perfect for embroiderers on a wide variety of items and even help you prevent mistakes while with a wide variety of needs to fill. embroidering. This accessory consists of one master While there are so many helpful tools in the market to choose from, bracket, which you mount onto the we’ve narrowed it down to 10 tools every embroiderer should consider embroidery machine and interchangeable frames that are available in adding to their arsenal. different sizes. Read on to discover which tools embroiderers prefer to help them Its slim design allows you to frame hard-to-hoop areas with limited become more efficient at their craft. space, such as wallets and shirt sleeves. #1: Embroiderer’s Helper Meanwhile, its high pressure lever firmly holds stiff items, such as As its name suggests, the Embroiderer’s Helper is leather bags and boots, that are too difficult to hoop traditionally. your right hand assistant when it comes to placing Check out this video where we use the Hooptech clamps to embroider and centering left and right chest embroidery a sun hat! designs on items such as polo shirts, placket shirts, In fact, it’s so easy to use, that many embroiderers rarely revert to their tees, sweatshirts and more! regular hoops even when embroidering standard items like polo shirts. This affordable placement tool takes the guessing #4: Robot Frame out of design placement, with notches that display Embroidering shoes is no where to place your center mark, depending on the easy feat, but with the Robot size and type of shirt. Check out this video where we Frame, you can achieve show you how to use the Embroiderer’s Helper to high-quality, trouble-free place logos on a shirt! embroidery on shoes. #2: Peggy’s Stitch Eraser The tool consists of two Even the best embroiderers make mistakes at adjustable high-pressure clamps that clamp thick shoes, like cleats and some point. We’ve all been there, trying to remove leather boots during the embroidery process. the stitches with anything you can find (scissors, You can also get creative with the clamps and embroider other difficult- tweezers and even hair clippers). But why risk to-hoop items, such as bags. damaging your design? Athough the most expensive on the list, the Robot Frame pays for itself That’s where Peggy’s Stitch Eraser comes to the rescue. with the capability it grants. If you plan on offering professional shoe The tool was designed by an embroiderer and sewing embroidery, the Robot Frame is worth the investment. Here’s a great enthusiast named Peggy, as part of her vision to help other embroiderers tutorial on how to embroider shoes using the Robot Frame! remove embroidery thread without tarnishing their garments. #5: Gen 2 Cap Frame The Stitch Eraser also makes the stitch removal process much less tedious If you are passionate about and more efficient for embroiderers, even when removing thicker threads. embroidering caps, you won’t want to The package itself comes with clipper oil and a cleaning brush. embroider one without HoopTech’s Gen 2 cap frame. This specialty cap 6 frame opens up the embroidery area to allow you to stitch closer to the bill of the hat without experiencing needle breaks.

If you want to read an awesome guide on how to avoid making 7 costly This tool also provides a simple solution for embroidering the back mistakes while embroidering a cap, click here! and sides of caps. In addition to its versatility, these hoops also work The frame also contains clips to hold the stabilizer when hooping caps, to prevent machine embroidery issues such as puckering on knit items, simplifying the hooping process. such as beanies. Overall, this tool makes hooping and embroidering caps much more Click here to get a full tutorial on how best to use the 8-in-1 device for efficient, saving businesses tons of money on production time and your next project. potential mistakes. #9: Placement stickers #6: HoopMaster Placement stickers are a simple The HoopMaster is perfect for those and effective tool to mark your who struggle to reach consistent design placement. Usually, design placement. The placement embroiderers mark their guides reveal exactly where to place placement with water soluble your design according to the shirt pens and even chalk, which can and hoop size. be a hassle to remove. If you’re looking for quick and easy Reusable placement stickers make your production process so much design placement and hooping, the Hoopmaster will undoubtedly cut smoother by keeping your garment free of residue and marks. the time it takes to complete bulk orders, maximizing productivity Another major bonus: The stickers contain a crosshair, making it easy within your business! to position your needle in the center of the crosshair to ensure proper #7: Mighty Hoops placement. Once the needle is centered in the crosshair, it is almost If you own these hoops, impossible to have a failed attempt at stitching within the desired area. you probably use them for #10: Tension Gauge just about everything you And lastly, the tension gauge. can. Why? In machine embroidery, proper These “mighty” hoops thread tension is crucial to ensure essentially hoop the material themselves. Although they’re shaped smooth operation. similarly to regular hoops, these hoops contain magnets that cling Machine embroidery tension gauges allow you to measure your thread together instantly when they meet. tension settings and adjust them until you’ve reached the proper This reduces time spent hooping and allows you to easily hoop thick setting. Top thread tension gauges are hooked to the top thread from items. We show you how to use the mighty hoops on a robe, in this the presser foot. Learn more about tension gauges in this episode of episode of Embroidery Hub! Embroidery Hub! Pro tip: These hoops also help reduce hoop burn, which are the marks By pulling on the thread, you can determine the tension the embroidery left behind by the hoop on your fabric, making it great for delicate machine is applying on the thread. items that are prone to hoop burn like satin. Click here to check out Want to learn more about why thread tension can get in the way of our video where we show you how to prevent hoop burns. your next project? Check out this guide and bonus video all about #8: 8-in-1 Device preventing thread breaks. The 8-in-1 device Bottom Line consists of one All of these tools serve a purpose during the embroidery process. master bracket and While you may not use each one for every single project, it is helpful eight specialty hoops to have them on hand. of different sizes Now that you’ve learned the tools of the trade, you can build your that allow you to embroidery arsenal with some of the top tools in the industry. embroider on an extensive list of items. This item does wonders for And most importantly, don’t forget to share your creations on our embroiderers because it allows you to “float” the material over the Facebook group, Embroidery & Custom Apparel Mastery. hoop using adhesive stabilizer, rather than hooping it traditionally. This tool is perfect for harder to embroider items such as pockets, sleeves, cuffs, baby clothing and more. 7

Employee Spotlight Q&A with Ricoma’s Production Supervisor Mr. Liang Huawen T his quarter, we caught up with our Production Product quality is the foundation of a company, Supervisor in our factory in Huizhou, Mr. therefore, we cannot allow any defective products. Liang Huawen. Find out what he has to say Every link, every process, every machine, has a about his experience in the custom apparel industry specific technician in charge of the quality. Thorough and working with Ricoma for the past decade below. investigations are initiated if anything goes wrong as part of the strong accountability system that has been When did you start in this industry and what compelled deeply rooted in our company, which urges everyone you to stay and grow your career in this industry? to be cautious and responsible for their work. I joined the embroidery machine industry in 2003 and How has your experience at Ricoma affected you in ever since, I have enjoyed watching the development of your life? the social economy and the continuous improvement I joined Ricoma as an ordinary technician. After a of people’s standard of living, which led to higher decade of growth with this company and continuous standards on clothing. learning and efforts to improve myself, I have gone from a beginner in the industry to the Production Pushing boundaries, the public wants not only Supervisor at Ricoma and a senior technician in the good looking clothing, but personalized, detailed, i n du s t r y. fashionable clothing as well. The market of DIY Ricoma is a great company with brilliant ideas and personalized embroidery has expanded and has pursuits. I have witnessed the growth of Ricoma from promoted the development of the embroidery machine a small company to a global, international company. industry and I am lucky to be part of the Ricoma This year, we moved into our newly built factory in family during this growth. Huizhou. There are two manufacturing buildings, one office building and one dormitory building. The In terms of product quality, how do we control it in new factory is spacious and bright, with a beautiful the production process? environment. I am highly grateful for Ricoma and believe that We have been strictly implementing the ISO 9001 Ricoma will have a brilliant future with the joint quality management system, including quality control efforts of the Ricoma team! for incoming materials, the production process and complete product inspection. We are equipped with professional quality control personnel in order to inspect and eliminate potential quality issues in each procedure. In addition to the strong quality management system, we also organize activities to enhance employees’ production skills by setting up production role models and encouraging a competitive atmosphere to improve the overall product quality. How do we meet customer’s expectations on high- quality products within the delivery deadline? In order to meet customer’s expectations by the delivery deadline, we have strong production management, effective staff training and plenty of motivation. Our team has high standards on quality, techniques and efficiency, all of which ensure high-quality products for our customers. 8

Ricoma YouTube hits 30k O ur YouTube channel is officially over the 30k From our two main series, Embroidery Hub and subscribers mark and we are so excited about Apparel Academy to training videos, customer success how fast it is growing! stories and machine demos, there is something on our channel for everyone. At the end of 2019, we were at a little over 26k and only three months into 2020, we’re well on our way to We are so grateful to our loyal subscribers, customers our 2020 goal of 50k. and fans who watch every single episode and share and connect with us every day. We started this channel as a way to educate and connect with our fellow embroiderers and other decorators in the industry. Our YouTube Channel covers everything from embroidery to the best business practices to guarantee your success. Thanks For 30K Subscribers Thank you from Ricoma Dear Ricoma Customers, On behalf of President Frank Ma, CEO Henry Ma and the employees of Ricoma in our China facility, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude for the warm regards that we received over the last month regarding the current situation in China. We sincerely appreciate those who have reached out to inquire about the health and safety of our staff and families. We would like to update all of you that our staff and families are indeed well and that we are working diligently to continue smooth operation at the factory. Once again, we appreciate your concerns and well wishes. Thank you all for your loyalty and support. Best wishes, The Ricoma Team 9

UPCOMING EVENTS To see our machines live at one of our upcoming events, come see us at the following dates below. Due to COVID-19 some event dates have changed. USA ISS ORLANDO 2020 ISS ATLANTIC CITY 2020 Orlando, Florida Atlantic City, New Jersey BOOTH #857 BOOTH #1301 September 10-September 12 October 8-October 10 10 10

1st QUARTER • 2020 EDITION ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aliana Zamorano is one of the content specialists at Ricoma. An avid reader and writer her whole life, Aliana graduated from Florida International University with a bachelor’s degree in communications and fulfills her passion by creating content for Ricoma’s blogs and social media! When she’s not at Ricoma, you can find Aliana spending time with her friends and family. If you’d like to chat about embroidery or would like more information about the articles in this publication, contact Aliana at [email protected]. ABOUt THE translator Joanna Zheng is the translator at Ricoma. With an M.A. degree in Linguistics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, she has been working on translation and bilingual magazine editing since 2014. She is now working on facilitating the effective communications between the Ricoma Headquarters and the Ricoma Factory to optimize the consumer experience for Ricoma internationally. If you would like to write for Ricoma Insights or have any suggestions for future articles, please feel free to reach her at [email protected]. helpful links Embroidery & Custom Apparel Mastery Facebook group Join Group Join our Facebook community to connect with other embroiderers, ask questions and share knowledge. Embroidery Hub YouTube tutorials WATCH Scroll through this playlist to see our how-to videos such as best practices for embroidery on knitwear, 3D puff embroidery and more. Ricoma blog ricoma.COM Visit our blog for more machine embroidery insights. Apparel Academy YouTube Series WATCH Watch Henry Ma, CEO of Ricoma, give embroidery and custom apparel businesses the advice they need to start and grow their businesses. 11