A Visit From A Legend

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This past Friday, the employees at Stormy Kromer were proud to welcome a legend into their factory.  A Living Legend, actually.

Jim Dehlin and family, with Bob Jacquart

Our inaugural Living Legend winner, Jim Dehlin (along with six family members, including his wife, son and daughter) spent a good part of Friday afternoon with us.  What a treat.

The group started with a factory tour, given by our CEO, Bob Jacquart, of course.  Bob gave them the royal treatment, sharing story after story about the factory and Stormy Kromer, and introducing the crew to many of our employees.  The littlest member of the Dehlin clan even got to put eyelets into some caps!

After the tour, the group hit the retail store, putting a good dent into Jim’s $500 gift certificate.  Unsurprisingly, in legendary fashion, Jim spent most of his prize money buying caps and gear for his friends and family instead of for himself.

The visit capped off our inagural Living Legend program.  We received dozens of nominations and honored ten worthy nominees as finalists.  During the voting period, over 8500 votes were cast, with Jim emerging as our winner.  Earlier this month, we sent off our donation to Homes for Our Troops, in Jim’s honor.

Jim’s son Jesse, who nominated him, let us in on a little secret.  “I know we were supposed to have the nominee’s permission before nominating, but I didn’t know what he would say.  So I just did it.”  We sure are glad he did.

On his way out, later on Friday afternoon, Jim pulled a staff member aside.  “We’ve got to talk about some trademark issues,” he said.  “Any objections to my next tattoo using the Stormy Kromer logo, with the words ‘It’s good to be first.’?”

No problem at all, Jim.  And we couldn’t be prouder that you were first.

 

Saturdays with Bob: One Customer at a Time

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By Bob Jacquart, CEO

As I look back on my life’s journey, little did I know that the skills that I learned in my first part-time job would come full circle.  Back in the 7th grade, I put together bicycles, strollers and wagons at my Uncle King’s five-and-dime store.  My uncle encouraged me to meet and interact with the customers, even at that young age.  I quickly learned that I loved meeting new people – learning from them, hearing their stories, and helping them with whatever they needed.

As an adult, in the early days of my work at Jacquart Fabric Products, I made custom boat covers and learned to upholster furniture – two more areas in which I worked directly with the end customer.  I even began to pass my love of customer interaction on to my two daughters – they often came to work with me on Saturday mornings, where they learned to introduce themselves by looking people straight in the eye and shaking their hand.

Eventually, as JFP grew, I found myself working with the end customer less and less.  I had other things to work on – building budgets and strategic plans, developing employees and creating an infrastructure that would support the company we were building.

As these things have been set in place and our management team has expanded, however, I find myself with a little more time on my hands.  Time that I have turned back to the customer – but a new type of customer, the Stormy Kromer fan who wants to see for themselves where the caps are made and visit our Factory Store.

The factory operates Monday through Friday, and therefore our tours are offered during the week.  Our Factory Store has also followed that schedule.  Last fall I decided to open our Factory Store on Saturdays, mainly to accommodate tourists who are visiting our area on the weekend.  It proved to be a huge success.

For the most part, I am the only one working on Saturdays, and we’re open from about 9-12. The folks who come in on Saturdays tend to be very passionate about our brand and usually have great stories to share.  I honestly can’t imagine a better way to spend a Saturday morning than talking about Stormy Kromer with people as excited about the brand as I am!

As soon as the weather warms up, however, Saturdays will be cycling days for me and we’ll have someone else staffing the store.  Don’t worry though, the cycling season is pretty short and come fall, I plan to be back.

Come to think of it…this may be a glimpse of my retirement job.  Maybe a new store with a coffee shop, Stormy Kromer products and free stories to all who want to hear them.  Sounds pretty good to me.

Behind the Scenes: Stormy Kromer Staff on the Road

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It’s the time of year when fall/winter brands, like ourselves, hit the road and begin showing off what’s new for Fall 2012.  We just got back from our first national trade show of the year, the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market.

We met with over 80 retailers, current and new, over the course of the 4-day show.  While many of our new products attracted their attention (can you spot any in the above photo?), we’d have to say that “made in America” was of key importance for show attendees.

To that end, we met the crew from Liberty Bottleworks – a bunch of great folks who are making the only American made recycled metal bottle in the marketplace.  On top of that, they look pretty cool too.  Check out their products next time you’re looking for a new water bottle.

The Outdoor Retailer Show also features a  fashion show with different pieces from varied brands put together.  A number of SK items were featured, including the Petal Pusher Cap – paired here with pieces from Gentle Souls, Fox River Socks and Neve Designs.

What’s next for SK?  National trade shows in Chicago and Fort Worth, followed by a host of regional shows where we look forward to meeting with many of our customers.

Then, we start putting our thoughts towards Spring 2013.

What products would you like to see in Stormy Kromer’s first official spring collection?

Stormy Kromer in Outside Magazine

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Have you seen the February issue of Outside Magazine?  One of the cover stories this month is “63 Perfect Things.”  We’re very proud to say that the Original Stormy Kromer Cap rounds out the list at number 63.

We’d like to send our thanks to the folks over at Outside Magazine for including us in such esteemed company.  Some of our other favorites on the list include:

9. No cell service
16. Snickers
22. Riding in the back of a pickup truck
36. Scraggly, asymmetrical Christmas trees
46. The U.P.
50. Grilling in the snow

The editors say their “outdoor pleasures are a mix of the good and the guilty.”  Which begs the question: What would be on your list of perfect things?

 

Announcing the 2012 Living Legend – Jim Dehlin

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When we decided to honor our legendary wool cap by honoring a few living legends, we were pretty sure we’d meet some doozies. We never imagined we’d run into someone like Jim Dehlin.

According to the entry form sent in by Jim’s son, Jesse, Jim is a bona fide American hero. The U.S. Army even says so.  After losing both legs in a land-mine explosion in Vietnam, Jim managed to wrack up an impressive bucket list of accomplishments from the front-row seat of his wheelchair:

He became a pilot.
He raced dirt bikes in Spain.
He ran with the bulls.
He tried downhill skiing, got bored and tried downhill ski racing.
He learned to water ski.
He hunted caribou in Alaska.
He swam with sharks.
He served as a volunteer firefighter.
He backpacked across Europe. Twice.
He ranked nationally in wheelchair basketball.
He appeared in Poison’s “Something to Believe In” video.
He was mentioned in three books by Senators and a Four-Star General.

“It’s not the accomplishments that make my dad a living legend,” said the younger Dehlin, “it is the impact he has had on people throughout his life that make him so. Over the 42 years since his injury, he continues to inspire people to tackle life and to succeed.”

Take, for example, how he used his sense of humor to improve the morale of other patients at Valley Forge Army Hospital—while he was dealing with his own injury. Or how he worked two jobs to put himself through school (he became an aviation maintenance specialist, then an educator) and plowed snow in the winter—for free for those in need. Or how he continues to challenge life by pushing boundaries and inspiring those around him to do the same.

“I am honored to be the recipient of the inaugural Stormy Kromer Living Legend award. To be included in such an elite group of finalists has been a humbling experience. I am blessed in my life to have my family and friends who have always supported me,” said Jim Dehlin, the inaugural Living Legend Award Recipient. “I am especially thankful to my son Jesse, who honored me as his Dad by nominating me. Many thanks to Stormy Kromer and all who voted,” Dehlin added.

As part of his Living Legend status, Dehlin receives a $500 Stormy Kromer gift certificate and a donation to the charity of his choice. Three percent of Stormy Kromer sales between January 9 and January 31, 2012, will be given to Homes for Our Troops, which builds specially adapted homes for disabled veterans.

“We see ourselves as a bit of a legend up here,” said Gina Thorsen, of the company which created its iconic ear-flap cap in 1903 and dozens of hand-stitched outdoor apparel items since that time, “but when we started reviewing the entries into our Living Legends contest, we were humbled to the point of speechlessness. These are incredible people, and Jim Dehlin is truly a hero. On behalf of the Stormy Kromer name, we are honored to recognize him as our inaugural Stormy Kromer Living Legend.”

Using Your Stormy Kromer

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Happy New Year everyone!

We have a feeling that there were quite a few Stormy Kromer caps under the Christmas tree this year.  So to any new members of the SK family who might be reading this blog for the first time, welcome!

Because of our potential newcomers, we thought we’d take a minute to review the use of your Stormy Kromer.  You might not need instructions to wear your new cap, but there is a right way and a wrong way.  The right way involves putting the cap on your head, grabbing the earband on both sides and pulling down.

There’s no unfolding or flipping of the flaps, and you don’t have to take the hat off to use them.  Just pull down and settle in.  They’ll stay in place without pinching.  And if you want to make a slight shift in snugness, just untie the string, adjust and retie.

Need a visual?  Check out this video clip, submitted to us by Hybrid Media last year on Facebook.

 

The Making of the Petal Pusher

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Of all of the new products we introduced in 2011, the Petal Pusher Cap has been the biggest hit.  In fact, we’ve sold over 5 times our initial sales projections for this product.  We’ve received rave reviews from the women who are wearing them and we’re hard at work on new color choices for 2012.

Because of the popularity of this product, we thought we’d share the quick story of how this cap came to be.  Through some previous blog posts, you’ve met Bob Jacquart, the CEO of Jacquart Fabric Products and Stormy Kromer.  And today, you’re going to learn about his wife, Denise.

For years, Denise worked in the business as well.  However, a few years ago, she became a unique kind of “CFO” – the Chief Family Officer.  Working in a family business that involves not just parents and daughters, but also cousins and uncles and spouses, well, it can sometimes be complicated.  So Denise now focuses on the family relationships, and making sure that part of the business is healthy.

She also has a keen sense for fashion and design.  A few years ago she got the idea that Stormy Kromer needed a feminine touch, and she played around with a few different ideas (see below) before stumbling on the idea of a flower.

The prototypes found their way into the back of a closet, and were forgotten about, until Bob and Denise’s daughter, Gina, joined the business and found them.  Gina and SK’s designer, Tamara, refined the design into the current product.

Why has this cap been so popular?  We think it’s because the design remains Kromer through and through (complete with functional earbands) while giving the ladies another option.  Honestly, we think Ida would be pretty proud.

Which brings us to a bigger question – what are your ideas for Stormy Kromer product variations?  Like Denise, you just might hit on the next big thing!

Happy Holidays from Stormy Kromer

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It’s that time of year when folks reflect on the past 12 months and look forward to what’s to come.  For those of us here at Stormy Kromer, we’d like to take the time to simply say “thank you.”  We’ve had an amazing year, full of growth and expansion, and all fueled by you, our customers and supporters.

We have lots of exciting things planned for 2012 and we look forward to sharing them all with you.

Happy Holidays,
Your Friends at Stormy Kromer

Last-minute Surprises from Stormy Kromer

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Welcome to the last frantic days of the holiday season!  The employees here at Stormy Kromer feel a little like the elves at Santa’s workshop – we’ve been working seemingly around the clock to be sure that everyone who put Stormy Kromer gear on their wish list will wake up happy on Christmas morning!

If you’re still looking for that little something to stuff in a stocking, or round out someone’s gift, we’ve got a handful of fun items that just might fit the bill.

Add a little flair to a Stormy Kromer cap with a pin, or help your loved one shout to the world their love of Stormy with a bumper sticker on their vehicle of choice.

And don’t forget, for the lager-loving folks on your gift list…that we also make clothes for beer!  (Or other cold beverages that come in a can or bottle.)

Also…we’re hoping to make your shopping dreams come true this weekend too!  Two lucky shoppers on each day this weekend will get their orders FOR FREE!  We’ll draw Monday morning and contact the winners.

And finally, because we’ve heard it through the grapevine that Santa occasionally reads the SK blog, are there any Stormy Kromer items on your wish list?

Holiday Gift Guide, Courtesy of the Upper Peninsula

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Here at Stormy Kromer, we’re proud to be made in the USA.  Sometimes we’re even prouder to be made in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula, even though you might not know exactly where that is.  Let’s just say that if pointing out the UP on a map was one of David Letterman’s geography stunts out on the streets of New York City, the failure rate would be pretty high.

We like to think that we’re a small part of changing that.  A part of, well, putting the UP back on the map.  As the holidays approach, we thought we’d share some other great UP companies who are not just surviving, but thriving in this wilderness we call home.  Check them out; you might just find that perfect gift for the hard-to-buy-for on your list.

Iverson Snowshoes - For over 50 years the Iverson craftsmen have been handcrafting the finest traditional snowshoes, right here in the USA.  All are based on designs that have been perfected through the eons. They strive to mix tradition with technology while staying true to their cause. No techie terms or slick marketing slogans, just the best snowshoes for the true enthusiasts.  Shingleton, MI.

Rapid River Knifeworks - Established in the spring of 2002, Rapid River Knifeworks is a producer of high quality custom knives. With a lot of skill, a few pieces of machinery and some really big dreams, they developed a line of custom knives that combine beauty with strength and practical usability. Rapid River, MI.

Sayklly's Confectionary & Gifts - Since 1906 and for three generations the Sayklly family has been delighting folks in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and beyond with homemade chocolates and candies, made from old-world recipes with only premium ingredients.  They even feature a chocolate bar in the shape of our fair peninsula.  Escanaba, MI.

Pasty Central - To be clear, it's pronounced with a short 'a', and it's a hearty meal of beef, potatoes and onions seasoned and wrapped in a flaky crust.  Made popular in the UP during the mining heyday, it's unofficially the official food of the peninsula.  Pasty Central will ship them straight to your door, so you can enjoy them, no matter your zip code.  Calumet, MI.

For even more UP products, including those made by individuals artists and craftsmen, check out Michigan Upper Hand.

What other made in the USA products do you plan to give this year?