Member Profile: Bollman Hat Company

Company Name & Location – Bollman Hat Company, Adamstown, PA

# of US based employees – 200

Years in Business – 143

Corporate Structure – Employee-Owned

Principal line of business – Bollman is an industry leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of men’s, women’s and children’s headwear and accessories.

Do you have any future expansion plans?   We continue to look for new opportunities to expand our brands in existing markets as well as new markets outside the US. We have recently signed two new licenses; first with R&B artist, Ne-Yo for his line of headwear and second with 8 time all around champion cowboy, Trevor Brazile, for his Relentless® brand.

Why does American Made Matter to you?   As the oldest hat maker in America dating back to 1868, manufacturing is part of our heritage. Over our 143 year history, we have provided tens of thousands of jobs, supported the local economy, and provided opportunities for a better life for our employees. We see renewed interest in US made products and believe that US manufacturing still plays a vital role in the future of our company.

How are you using the logo on products, website or marketing materials?   The American Made Matters logo is placed on the homepage of our website, www.BollmanHats.com. It is also featured on hangtags placed on our products made in our Pennsylvania factory and listed in our Bailey catalogs next to products made in the USA. We are going to be using the logo on our shipping cartons as well.

Do you have any tips for communicating the American Made Message?   As the founding member of American Made Matters, we have invested significantly in getting the message conveyed to our retail customers and the consumers of our products. We have created the AmericanMadeMatters.com website as well as a Facebook and Twitter account where we are connecting with consumers.  American made is always part of our discussions about our company.  This includes press, retailers and consumers.

Has your company won any awards recently?   In 2010 we were recognized at the Governor’s mansion as one of the oldest companies in Pennsylvania and have also recently been recongnized by the ESOP association for over 25 years as an Employee/Owned company.

What’s your vision for the future of your company?   To grow our brands and private label distribution in targeted markets throughout the world, increasing opportunities for our Employee/Owners.

What values drive your business decisions?   Our core value is to exercise effective stewardship over the heritage and assets handed down from past generations.  This will be upheld as our people pioneer change by listening, thinking, and acting with integrity for the long term.  We will achieve excellence by taking ownership, supporting our teammates, giving more than we take, and treating others fairly.

What advice would you give to a start-up business that plans to manufacture/source/etc. in the USA?   To make sure the product that you are offering is the highest quality possible and that you are able to respond with fast, exceptional service as it is unlikely that you will be able to compete on price.

What are the benefits for your company of manufacturing in the USA?   Being able to better control quality and consistency of the products. We can also respond much faster to new trends and short lead times. US manufacturing also enhances our ability to innovate.

How do you balance US and foreign manufacturing for your company?   The market most often dictates that balance. There are products that we sell and components that we require that are no longer or have never been available in the US. There are price points at the lowest end of our market that simply can’t be met using US manufacturing.

How do you get the message out to your customers that you are manufacturing in the USA? Is it important to your customers that you manufacture in the USA?   We present American Made Matters to our private label customers when we meet with them. Our Bailey brand features American Made Matters in our catalogs and we have discussed and encouraged the focus on American Made Matters with our salespeople. We think it is important to most customers but it is only the determining factor of whether they will buy from us by a minority of customers. Obviously the value of consistent quality, innovative designs, excellent service and a price that is within a competitive market range are all key components.

Pa. Proud: ‘Worlds kids love’ created daily at local toy manufacturer K’NEX
Published: Thursday, June 23, 2011
By: For Journal Register News Service

Amazement. K’NEX President and CEO Michael Araten says that it is one of the most common responses he receives when he tells people that K’NEX building toys are manufactured in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. “So many people are used to toys from overseas that they don’t even consider that these products may be manufactured not just in the United States, but in their own backyard,” Araten said. “That is the perception that we’re hoping to change.”

If amazement is the initial response to the news that K’NEX products are manufactured in Hatfield, the sentiment only deepens upon hearing the uniquely American story behind the colorful plastic building sets.

Joel Glickman was 50 years old in 1990 when inspiration struck in the form of cocktail straws at a wedding. Mr. Glickman, tinkering with the straws, envisioned the possibilities of a construction toy built around the concept of rods (like the straws) and connectors to hold them together.

By the time his idea (now called K’NEX) hit the toy market in late 1992 Mr. Glickman had spent two years refining the concept only to have it rejected by the major toy companies including Hasbro and Mattel.

Committed to the idea, he pushed ahead manufacturing the K’NEX pieces at his family’s plastics factory, The Rodon Group, in Hatfield.

Glickman’s hunch was correct — the idea was a good one and in the nearly 20 years that have followed, the family-owned and operated K’NEX has become one of the world’s leading integrated construction systems for children and the winner of more than 200 international awards and recognitions. The line has grown to include sets with not only rods and connectors but also bricks, personality parts, and motors for movement, now sold by retailers around the world. A focus on Building Worlds Kids Love™ has resulted in Sesame Street, NASCAR, Monster Jam and Mario Kart Wii-licensed K’NEX building sets along with K’NEX branded building sets for kids ages 2–12.

Committed to manufacturing in the United States at a time when most toys are made overseas K’NEX is the only U.S. Construction toy company, with more than 90 percent of its parts still manufactured its by sister company The Rodon Group. In business since 1956, the Rodon Group makes billions of parts each year in its 125,000 square foot eco-friendly facility and is one of the largest family-owned and operated injection molders in the United States. In addition to K’NEX, The Rodon Group serves a diverse group of industries including consumer products, medical, construction, and pharmaceutical.

“At K’NEX and Rodon, we’ve learned that manufacturing in America can actually be more cost-effective than manufacturing overseas,” said Araten.

“Furthermore our nation was founded on an entrepreneurial spirit, and the ability to shape our own growth by inventing and making everything we use. Continuing to shed our manufacturing base is akin to trying to run a race without running shoes — you can do it, but you are at a tremendous disadvantage.”

It’s a disadvantage that K’NEX is trying to stem through its membership in various Made in America advocacy groups including American Made Matters, headquartered in Adamston, PA. Araten, K’NEX and Rodon are optimistic about the possibility of bringing more manufacturing jobs to America and increasing the understanding of why American made matters among consumers. It’s just another challenge for a company used to surprising doubters — a fact made even clearer by the rejection letters that line the walls of K’NEX Headquarters as a constant reminder that in America all things are possible.