Monday, 21 November 2022 07:00 AM
Company Update
RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / November 21, 2022 / Brian Cox and Scott Alexander never imagined in their wildest dreams that the hats they designed and made in Brian's living room four years ago would become so popular that they would be exported to 26 countries across the world.
The story begins with Brian's talent in the field of graphic design. He had a customer who asked him to design custom hats with patches. After getting a really steep quote from an embroiderer, he decided to try and make them himself by ordering patches and sewing them with a borrowed sewing machine. The client loved them. Feeling that the idea had scope as a small business that could bring in some income on the side, Brian asked his close friend, Scott Alexander, to come on board. As someone who used to teach math in high school, Scott brought his operational and financial skills to the business and this complemented Brian's artistic flair.
Their first clients were local businessmen and once Brian set up a website for Custom Patch Hats, business increased exponentially. Orders for the hats came in to the point where they had to rent a shared garage for storing their hats. With the expansion of their business they hired more staff including a seamstress and a graphic designer. With their expansion of their product range to include all kinds of apparel, and their products becoming more popular, the company recently crossed the milestone of two million hats.
The biggest challenge they faced in this growth was the pandemic. They went from a time when business was accelerating at a frenetic pace to a scenario where they had to lay off staff to keep costs down. The firm pivoted quickly to make masks and hats for people working in essential services and continued to operate with minimal staff. All staff started working remotely including the seamstresses. Sewing machines were delivered to their homes and hats were delivered and picked up from their homes on a daily basis by using a rented U-Haul.
Once the restrictions were eased, Custom Patch Hats rebounded with greater strength and is today continuing its growth. The company now has a workforce of over 70 employees and is scheduled to shortly move into a production warehouse spread over 30,000 sq. feet that will house the latest technology like laser machines for making laser etched patches.
Custom Patch Hats has designed hats for clients including Coca Cola and Facebook and within this short span of four years has made a name for itself as a company that makes quality hats at an affordable price. The key factor that differentiates the firm from other players in the field is that it prioritizes building personal relationships with customers who are each allocated one design salesperson as their point of contact throughout the entire sales process for a custom-made patch (whether it is embroidered, woven, leather, etc.). Each customer receives personal service and the hats are delivered to customers with a maximum period of nine weeks.
According to Brian Cox, co-founder of the business, the company has basically reimagined the entire concept of custom hats by giving a mass product a personal touch, both in terms of design and customer service.
Asked about their plans for the future of the company, Scott Alexander, co-founder of the company said, "Neither of us had a background in manufacturing or in the apparel industry. We started this business with just USD 500 in our bank account. We had to learn the nuts and bolts of running a business like sourcing, shipping and packaging on the fly. The learning curve has been quite steep. But the journey so far has been exhilarating and we are grateful for all that we have achieved. Our customers range from Joe who needs hats for his fishing trip with his buddies to major corporations. The long-term plan is to continue our growth story by expanding into different verticals. We need to update and customize our products regularly based on the latest trends in the apparel industry and the feedback we get from our customers. Our end goal is to be a company that makes quality products with a human touch and is a great workplace with good benefits for our employees."
About Custom Patch Hats
Custom Patch Hats was established in 2018 and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company specializes in the design of high-quality custom patches for hats, coolers, totes, hoodies and a wide range of apparel. The firm has been recognized for its fast rate of growth and numbered 140 in Inc Magazine's list of the 5000 fastest growing companies in the United States. Its clients include firms like Coca Cola, Facebook, PGA and Garmin.
Media Contact:
Name: Millie Marshall
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE: Custom Hat Patches