p44 Beechfield profile:Layout 1 22/01/2010 14:39 Page 45
COMPANY PROFILE
I
catch up with Roger McHugh at the tail end its own Quality Control lab. "It goes a long way year are subject to regular makeovers to keep
of a strong November and an incredibly to enabling us to control the quality of the them fresh. The new B640 Half Mesh Trucker is
successful year. He is finalising Beechfield's products. After all, continuity is paramount to a good example, says Roger. "We're on our
edgy-looking 2010 brochure as we settle down the promotions industry.” fourth incarnation of the half mesh trucker; our
for a chat at his Bury HQ. new B640 has taken nearly 20 years to evolve
Beechfield was founded in 1992 and, after A quantum leap into what it is now. It’s far more sophisticated
almost two decades, it is still turning heads, than the traditional American trucker caps yet it
with a huge following in both the UK and Roger knows better than anyone that to ‘stand remains faithful to the original design. We
Europe. Roger describes how the brand hit the still is to go backwards’. It’s no surprise, then, expect it to be a big success for printers and
ground running, with a range of 12 to find that Beechfield has reinvented itself for embroiderers in 2010.”
contemporary headwear styles and a million 2010, adding 18 new styles, including a clutch Beechfield is dedicated to creating new
pieces in stock. Since then Beechfield has of high fashion headwear designs. The new-look fashionable headwear styles and to keeping its
developed the most popular and complete brochure, which sees products appearing in most popular lines up to date and relevant in
collection of promotional headwear on the ‘Autumn/Winter’ and
market. ‘Spring/Summer’
"When we started, there were a few ad hoc collections for the first
importers and a clear need for a recognised time, mirrors the
headwear brand in the promotional clothing contemporary, urban feel
market," recalls Roger. "Garment wholesalers of these new products.
were, perhaps, a little bit frustrated over the "We had 48 styles in
lack of suppliers. We sensed an opening to form 2009, discontinued 10 and
a proper distributor-led brand." launched 18 new ones. It's
Roger’s instincts were proved correct when the a quantum leap for us, and
Beechfield brand became an instant, and that’s reflected in the
enduring, success. brochure. We’ve moved
"We have been incredibly solid since day one," away from the safe ‘promo
he says. "I can only put it down to the strength look’ and encapsulated the
of the brand and what we do, and also to the new exciting image that
efforts of our distributors. The professionalism we are trying to create for
that companies such as Ralawise, Prestige, UKL promotional headwear,”
and PenCarrie have brought to the market has says Roger.
benefited everyone: it’s a privilege for us to "Of our 18 new lines, six
work with them.” of them appear in the
As well as being available through these four Spring/Summer fashion
leading UK distributors, Beechfield is also collection. These are all
offered through 25 wholesalers on the totally on-trend - Gatsbys,
continent, where the brand’s sales increase fedoras, plaid army caps…
every year. "We are particularly strong in They’ve come straight off
Germany, France and Spain, and Italy is the catwalk," he adds,
becoming an ever more important market for us, showing me the brochure
too," says Roger. visuals. “We’ve given our
He describes as “phenomenal” the support that Autumn/Winter fashion
the multi-brand distributors provide to printers collection an equally edgy
and embroiderers. dimension with the launch
“If you want 50 T shirts, 50 polos and 50 of the new Slouch Beanie,
sweatshirts – all in matching colours – and 50 Chunky Knit Beanie,
caps to top off the outfit, you can buy them Peaked Beanie and Classic
from the same source. If you were buying the Tassel Peru Hat. Knitted
caps from an independent cap supplier, you headwear has never looked
would no doubt have to pay extra delivery so good!”
charges as well as endure further
administration,” Roger points out. Rapid response
“Furthermore, would the colours of the caps
match the other garments?” As self-professed
Beechfield prides itself on the lengths it will go innovators within the
to in its determination to create exact matches promotional headwear
to the leading garment brands’ colours. market, Roger tells me that
“Co-existing in distributors' brochures with the one of Beechfield’s
likes of Jerzees and Fruit of the Loom requires strengths is its ability to
Beechfield to uphold the same exacting quality stay nimble and respond quickly to retail trends. today’s market. But looks aren’t everything; at
standards as those brands,” Roger explains. "A lot of what we do is led by retail," he the forefront of every design brief is the desire
"The colours have to match. That's key.” explains. "You take a product and ask 'how are to make life as easy as possible for the
Every batch of Beechfield fabric is thoroughly we going to make that promo ready?' Your decorator.
wash tested for colour fastness and fastness to radar is on all the time. Whenever you go into a "I’ll give you an example," says Roger. "Our
light and is also tested for dimensional stability. shop, whenever you go to a fashion show, you new bump cap has been engineered without a
According to Roger, “Some cap companies, are soaking up information. If something is front seam to make it easier to embroider. It
perhaps even a lot of companies, choose not to happening in the market, we react. And if we seems obvious, but many embroiderers are
bother with testing what they regard as low- have to discontinue a once fashionable line conditioned to expect a front seam. It’s only
cost promotional items. That’s not an option for because times have changed, we get rid of it: when they see a Beechfield cap with a seam-
Beechfield – we stand by the quality of each we don't leave it hanging around in the free front that they fully appreciate the
and every one our products. brochure for the next five years." advantages."
The brand takes the quality and consistency of Even the ‘classic’ Beechfield designs that
its products so seriously that it has even set up command a place in the brochure year after
continued over
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk February 2010 | 45 |
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