Bollman Hat Company

History

At the time that George Bollman set up his hat factory in Adamstown, Pennsylvania in 1868, the area was home to many hat makers, due to access to plentiful water. Hat manufacturing required a great deal of fresh water to both operate the machinery and to felt wool. Today, manufacturers use other means to power machinery and mills and use water reclamation technology to minimize water usage. This has enabled felt making and other textile manufacturing to move to sites that would otherwise be less suitable.

Hat making was, for many years, a major industry in Lancaster and Berks County where Adamstown is located. Bollman Hat Company became one of the best known hat makers in the region, supplying hat bodies (the unshaped felted wool cones) to hat makers up and down the east coast. Over time they bought out the majority of the other hat makers in Adamstown. Hat making is still the major manufacturing employer in Adamstown. Bollman is one of only two hat makers remaining in this area.

The hat making history is evident in the region, with many street names reflecting hat companies, or processing. In addition the many antique shops (Adamstown is quite renowned for its antique shops) have names reflecting the local hat making history, and are often located in former hat buildings and other factories.

At the current time Bollman is the only hat maker still working start (wool) to finish (hats) in Adamstown. As Bollman Hat Company acquired other brands including Bailey, Betmar, Country Gentleman, Helen Kaminski and Ignite, as well as, global rights to Kangol Headwear, Bollman become a global company.

Bollman Hat Company is also a private label hat maker for other fashion designers, including Marc Jacobs and Samuel L. Jackson and companies, including Cabela's Sporting Goods.

It was announced in February 2009 that Bollman were reviewing their worldwide operations, putting 33 jobs and the future of the Kangol head office in Cleator, England in doubt. Currently the Kangol brand has moved to America and is designed in New York City and Manufactured both overseas and in the Adamstown plant.

Bollman Hat Company now distributes to seventy seven countries.

American made clothing and textiles

Prior to the 1970s the majority of clothing worn by Americans were made in USA. After the tariffs and restrictions on imports were lifted, many manufacturing jobs left the United States. The textile and clothing industries were especially hard hit.

Bollman Hat Company had to downsize significantly and laid off over 100 workers owing to the increased competition of less expensive imports. This led to the founding of American Made Matters by Bollman CEO, Don Rongione. American Made Matters functions as a Trade Association and lists member companies that manufacture products in the USA on their website and social media channel.

According to some analyses, after the economic down turn in the 2000s there has been a revival of interest in American Made products, which has helped the remaining American textile and Clothing companies. However others dispute this claim, arguing that US manufacturing has continued to decline since the recession.

Company organization

Bollman Hat Company was founded by Mr. George Bollman in 1868. Bollman was a family owned business for most of its history. Bollman became an employee owned business in 1985.

The company is headquartered in Adamstown PA, with wool scouring facilities in Texas and showrooms and sales and design offices in New York City and Sydney, Australia. Other showrooms include London, Denver, Colorado and Atlanta, Georgia.

Celebrity, television, and films

Bollman Hats have covered many Hollywood actors from Humphrey Bogart to Fred Astaire and from Samuel L. Jackson to Nicole Kidman; musicians from Run DMC to Eminem and from Pete Townshend to Ne-Yo; athletes from Michael Jordan to Donovan McNabb and from Chi Chi Rodriguez to Jimmy Rollins.

Some notable moments in celebrity history include: Bailey Hats were the provider of official hats for the Mickey Mouse Club the space patrol and Hopalong Cassidy

Samuel L. Jackson wore a Kangol hat in the movie Jackie Brown.

W magazine has featured several celebrities wearing Bollman owned brands on their covers.

Kaminsky Hats maintains a celebrity watch, with photos of famous actresses wearing their hats

Kangol berets are well known, and were worn by many celebrities, from General Montgomery to LL Cool J

Various Kangol and Bollman Hat brands were used in the movie New Jack City.