SNEWS Qs, Doug Lawrence, Selke Handcrafted Hats
THe subject of this week's SNEWS Qs is Doug Lawrence, a distributor of Selke Handcrafted Hats.
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Doug Lawrence
Lawrence & Associates
Distributors for Selke Handcrafted Hats
Tell us about your brands and products:
Selke Handcrafted Hats offers 80 different styles, fabrics, and colors of outdoor hats – each with their own unique appeal.
Where did your inspiration come from?
I purchased a Selke Hat when I married off my daughter in New Zealand. Each time I wore my Selke Hat, people would comment, ask where they could get one, and in 80 percent of the cases, they contacted the manufacturer ordered their hat, had it shipped to the States, and told me how much they loved it! That’s when I saw an opportunity to bring them to the North American market. My son, Michael, and I have teamed up to create Lawrence & Associates – distributors for Selke Handcrafted Hats.
What’s the one best features of your product?
Outstanding style and unmatched durability
Who do you look up to in the industry?
Every successful entrepreneur who had a vision for their product, stayed steadfast, persisted through the lean years, and has provided employment to those in their community – those are the heros in the American economy.
Who do you want to compete against in the industry?
You only compete against yourself. There are hat products like Tilley, Tommy Bahama, and Akubra that appeal to our same buyer, but we only compete against what we did as a company yesterday. We have to understand who we are, who we are not, be comfortable with that knowledge, and provide the best quality product for the best value with extraordinary service and support. If we can get better every day in each of those categories, we are succeeding.
–Compiled by Ana Trujillo
