From Zippers to Glass, Shortages of Basic Goods Hobble US Economy

Diamond Brand COO Lauren Rash stands in an aisle of shelves with stockpiled parts as the 'lean' supply management has been upended by global shortages and bottlenecks, at Diamond Brand factory in Fletcher, outside Asheville, N.C., on Aug. 11, 2021. Howard Schneider/Reuters

FLETCHER, N.C.—For Lauren Rash, it’s the little things that have snarled production at her tent factory here, like the many shades of black Velcro.

Her company, Diamond Brand, just launched a new line of high-end wall tents called the Liminal, thick with vents and fasteners demanded by discerning campers. But that means using lots of Velcro. And that’s a problem, because black Velcro comes in many shades, depending on the type of raw plastic resin used to make it.