Then and Now: Brandenburg manages through global uncertainty

For James Brandenburg, president of U.S. operations for JVS Export, a family-owned textile manufacturer headquartered in India, the hardest part of his job isn't selling home textiles to Walmart, Target and Hobby Lobby -- it's everything he can't control. "The operating environment is constantly changing because of global politics and conflict at this point, whether it's tariffs, war or regulatory changes," he said. "The owner was telling me that now we're seeing impacts from the war, and we can't get polyester and dye." And elections in India are affecting the workforce. So, Brandenburg focuses on what he can control: "how we communicate to our customers about it. That's the best we can do right now. We have to take the rest of it and just stay shifty on our feet." Retail is changing, he said. "We can't just make good kitchen towels in India; now we have to tell stories and provide good online content. It's a lot different than it was 24 years ago when I started. Then it was basically to get product from point A to point B. But the good news is that it's still a people-driven business. We still have relationships and discussions with merchant teams about what the product...

Source: https://talkbusiness.net/2026/06/then-and-now-brandenburg-manages-through-global-uncertainty/