HATCO Sold...

[billyspew]

Article in the latest issue of Hat Life

To quote...
"There will be a new emphasis on dress headwear from the Stetson dress and Dobbs brands, he added."

No sure it's going to mean any real upturn in hatwearing...

 

[Dreispitz]

Sounds like a concentration on the core business approach :deadhorse

 

[duggap]

They can say what they want but I bet they concentrate more on the western look.[huh]

 

[Carlisle Blues]

Just a change in approach......

The only changes, Redding said, will be in marketing strategy.

"You're going to see a vast increase in marketing media blitz. There'll be a much larger focus on our core grassroots customer as well as a customer that is outside the western industry,” he said.

There will be a new emphasis on dress headwear from the Stetson dress and Dobbs brands, he added.

 

[Topdog]

the new owners core business - They currently makes products for rodeos, team and calf roping, cutting, reining horse, barrel racing and the ranching industry.-

My bet is they focus on western wear and the new emphais will be dress western hats.

 

[J. M. Stovall]

I wonder where Hatco, the FL member is?

 

[John in Covina]

Strategery!

 

[HATCO]

I'm right here. I'm not sure what dress western is is defined as. If it is referring to the western businessman, we have a number of products that already cater to that market...

 

[John in Covina]

I am sure that dress western is western hats that are considered a bit more high end and not work hats. Business would certainly fit in that group. Much like the concept of BBQ and Court guns in Texas ands other states as opposed to the every day work or on duty gun.

 

[Brad Bowers]

"You're going to see a vast increase in marketing media blitz. There'll be a much larger focus on our core grassroots customer as well as a customer that is outside the western industry.”


Sounds like you'll be kept busy, HATCO. Nice to the see dress market, and Dobbs, mentioned specifically, so they don't intend to let it fall by the wayside. It'll be interesting to see what develops from this.

Brad

 

[besdor]

Brad, I've been aiting a long time to see Stetson or any other manufacturer spend a nickel on advertising. I have sat in a few meeting with the "brass" of these companies and have given them my suggestions. The bottom line is it never happens.
But I think the new owners are motivated to try and improve business. From what I have been told , even the western business is suffering in the economy.

Steven
www.bencrafthats.com

 

[gtdean48]

Pro Equine has a big footprint in the performance show horse area, cutting, reining, reined cowhorse, roping, world's greatest horseman, etc. This seems to be their first purchase of an apparrel business for that market. At all these events you do see a lot of vendors of custom hatters but lots of the participants are going to risk a high dollar custom in the arena. I usually have a good but not great Stetson or Resistol for the show pen & a custom for other activities at the shows, sort of like beaters & dress fedoras. Maybe they're going to go for the "dress western" to compete with the custom hatters... [huh]

 

[Mr. Paladin]

I am sure that dress western is western hats that are considered a bit more high end and not work hats. Business would certainly fit in that group. Much like the concept of BBQ and Court guns in Texas ands other states as opposed to the every day work or on duty gun.

I'll bet you are right John. I like your analogy; it is very accurate here. I also hope Brad is correct in his post as I really do like the Stetson fedoras, particularly the recent trend in the direction of the Colony and Nostalgia styles. I want to get to the Outlet soon and see what they say there. Maybe next week...

 

[John in Covina]

It's an exciting change that they will pursue advertising. The ad they did in Classic Style a couple of years ago was the first ad in decades.
:eusa_clap

 

[CRH]

Pro Equine has a big footprint in the performance show horse area, cutting, reining, reined cowhorse, roping, world's greatest horseman, etc. This seems to be their first purchase of an apparrel business for that market. At all these events you do see a lot of vendors of custom hatters but lots of the participants are going to risk a high dollar custom in the arena. I usually have a good but not great Stetson or Resistol for the show pen & a custom for other activities at the shows, sort of like beaters & dress fedoras. Maybe they're going to go for the "dress western" to compete with the custom hatters... [huh]

Good thing you have a Squatter just in case you have to crawl under a trailer or something - so you don't have to get one of the 'pwiddy whiddle hats' dirty lol!

 

[CRH]

It's an exciting change that they will pursue advertising. ...

:arated:

Indeed! And good to see Pro Equine throwing money with optimistic value into the economy!

Almost as exciting as noticing another gentleman or a lady wearing a Fedora !

 

[gtdean48]

...so you don't have to get one of the 'pwiddy whiddle hats' dirty lol!

You obviously haven't been paying close attention to the way I treat a hat. I have more western beaters than I do snap brims by a long shot. Even after going thru the bush hog, they get patched up & back in service....

 

[frussell]

If the new owner is who I'm thinking.....

I believe the Pro Equine guy that just took over is a friend of mine. He recently had the folks at Stetson/Resistol make me a custom Tom Mix/Old West style hat with a bound brim and big ribbon, after he saw me wearing one he liked at a funeral. As far as I know, it's one of a kind. Great guy, super generous, and hopefully, interested in the opinions of the hat-buying public. He told me he was buying the company, but I thought he was kidding. I hope to see good things coming from Stetson these days. He's a cowboy, but has roots back East, so maybe fedora is not a foreign term for him!

 

[tonyb]

The Stetson name alone is gold. Even people who know next to nothing about hats know the Stetson name. (Well, people of a certain age, anyway. Maybe the youngsters have no firsthand knowledge.)

 

[cptjeff]

The Stetson name alone is gold. Even people who know next to nothing about hats know the Stetson name. (Well, people of a certain age, anyway. Maybe the youngsters have no firsthand knowledge.)

Speaking as a youngster, in my generation Stetson is known pretty much exclusively for cowboy hats. I remember being quite surprised when I learned that Stetson not only made fedoras, but used to be the dominant brand.

Relying on their name alone may not work so well among the younger crowd looking to buy a fedora. It would probalby work pretty well in markets where the cowboy hats are well known, but elsewhere not so much.