Randy Carr, a diligent individual who manages a family enterprise specializing in the manufacture of embroidered badges, stands in the face of intense competition, always maintaining a vigilant lookout. Amidst the unpredictable cycle of tariffs implementation, his primary challenge lies in staying updated with regulation shifts. Fulfilling his role as a successor, Carr expanded the family venture, establishing a significant production unit in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
Carr scans the headlines on his personal computer with a sense of trepidation akin to awaiting an impending medical procedure. On April 2, his eyes were glued to the President’s announcement from the Rose Garden; a revelation of fresh tariffs was imminent. An energetic, physically robust 52-year-old, Carr holds the helm of World Emblem, a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based private business that generates approximately 150 million embroidered badges on an annual basis. A majority of these embellishments find their way onto garments such as caps and shirts.
Carr, a lively individual, pulsates with vigor even when seated, giving the impression of a perpetual motion machine. Everything he does, he executes with an unmatched fervor, extending to his food choices, a subject he animatedly discussed one afternoon with emphatic thumps on a tabletop. His diet consists of a balanced mix of 200 grams of protein, a wealth of vegetables, limited carbohydrates, and absolutely no sugar.
He follows a dedicated fitness routine that involves waking up at five in the morning for weightlifting exercises, complemented by an evening jog spanning five miles. ‘Striving for excellence every single day, for everyone here,’ as he says, reflects his commitment. ‘Running against this firm would be a challenge I wouldn’t want to take up.’
World Emblem finds its roots back in 1990 when Carr’s father set the foundation of the company with merely a couple of machines located in a warehouse on the outskirts of Miami. As the business began to gain traction, it further expanded its boundaries in 2005, setting foot in Mexico with the establishment of a new factory.
Present day, this Mexican facility, spanned across an area equivalent to eight football pitches, has burgeoned into a large-scale production unit. It provides employment opportunities to over 800 individuals. The factory, producing approximately 2.5 million emblems every week, signifies the dramatic growth World Emblem has achieved over the years.