"When we started, there were a few ad hoc importers and a clear need for a recognised headwear brand in the promotional clothing market," recalls Roger. "Garment wholesalers were, perhaps, a little bit frustrated over the lack of suppliers. We sensed an opening to form a proper distributor-led brand."

Roger’s instincts were proved correct when the Beechfield brand became an instant, and enduring, success.

"We have been incredibly solid since day one," he says. "I can only put it down to the strength of the brand and what we do, and also to the efforts of our distributors. The professionalism that companies such as Ralawise, Prestige, UKL and PenCarrie have brought to the market has benefited everyone: it’s a privilege for us to work with them.”

As well as being available through these four leading UK distributors, Beechfield is also offered through 25 wholesalers on the continent, where the brand’s sales increase every year. "We are particularly strong in Germany, France and Spain, and Italy is becoming an ever more important market for us, too," says Roger.

He describes as “phenomenal” the support that the multi-brand distributors provide to printers and embroiderers.

“If you want 50 T shirts, 50 polos and 50 sweatshirts – all in matching colours – and 50 caps to top off the outfit, you can buy them from the same source. If you were buying the caps from an independent cap supplier, you would no doubt have to pay extra delivery charges as well as endure further administration,” Roger points out. “Furthermore, would the colours of the caps match the other garments?”

Beechfield prides itself on the lengths it will go to in its determination to create exact matches to the leading garment brands’ colours.

“Co-existing in distributors' brochures with the likes of Jerzees and Fruit of the Loom requires Beechfield to uphold the same exacting quality standards as those brands,” Roger explains. "The colours have to match. That's key.”

Every batch of Beechfield fabric is thoroughly wash tested for colour fastness and fastness to light and is also tested for dimensional stability. According to Roger, “Some cap companies, perhaps even a lot of companies, choose not to bother with testing what they regard as low-cost promotional items. That’s not an option for Beechfield – we stand by the quality of each and every one our products.

The brand takes the quality and consistency of its products so seriously that it has even set up its own Quality Control lab. "It goes a long way to enabling us to control the quality of the products. After all, continuity is paramount to the promotions industry.”

A quantum leap

Roger knows better than anyone that to ‘stand still is to go backwards’. It’s no surprise, then, to find that Beechfield has reinvented itself for 2010, adding 18 new styles, including a clutch of high fashion headwear designs. The new-look brochure, which sees products appearing in ‘Autumn/Winter’ and ‘Spring/Summer’ collections for the first time, mirrors the contemporary, urban feel of these new products.

"We had 48 styles in 2009, discontinued 10 and launched 18 new ones. It's a quantum leap for us, and that’s reflected in the brochure. We’ve moved away from the safe ‘promo look’ and encapsulated the new exciting image that we are trying to create for promotional headwear,” says Roger.

"Of our 18 new lines, six of them appear in the Spring/Summer fashion collection. These are all totally on-trend - Gatsbys, fedoras, plaid army caps… They’ve come straight off the catwalk," he adds, showing me the brochure visuals. “We’ve given our Autumn/Winter fashion collection an equally edgy dimension with the launch of the new Slouch Beanie, Chunky Knit Beanie, Peaked Beanie and Classic Tassel Peru Hat. Knitted headwear has never looked so good!”

Rapid response

As self-professed innovators within the promotional headwear market, Roger tells me that one of Beechfield’s strengths is its ability to stay nimble and respond quickly to retail trends.

"A lot of what we do is led by retail," he explains. "You take a product and ask 'how are we going to make that promo ready?' Your radar is on all the time. Whenever you go into a shop, whenever you go to a fashion show, you are soaking up information. If something is happening in the market, we react. And if we have to discontinue a once fashionable line because times have changed, we get rid of it: we don't leave it hanging around in the brochure for the next five years."

Even the ‘classic’ Beechfield designs that command a place in the brochure year after year are subject to regular makeovers to keep them fresh. The new B640 Half Mesh Trucker is a good example, says Roger. "We're on our fourth incarnation of the half mesh trucker; our new B640 has taken nearly 20 years to evolve into what it is now. It’s far more sophisticated than the traditional American trucker caps yet it remains faithful to the original design. We expect it to be a big success for printers and embroiderers in 2010.”

Beechfield is dedicated to creating new fashionable headwear styles and to keeping its most popular lines up to date and relevant in today’s market. But looks aren’t everything; at the forefront of every design brief is the desire to make life as easy as possible for the decorator.

"I’ll give you an example," says Roger. "Our new bump cap has been engineered without a front seam to make it easier to embroider. It seems obvious, but many embroiderers are conditioned to expect a front seam. It’s only when they see a Beechfield cap with a seam-free front that they fully appreciate the advantages."

The bump cap is based on the proven ‘B15’ template, which has been rolled out on numerous other styles already. These include the original B15 Ultimate 5 Panel Cap in solid colours, B15c Ultimate 5 Panel Cap – Sandwich Peak in contrasting colours, B185 Pro-Style Ball Mark Golf Cap and another new product for 2010, the B159 Grand Prix Cap.

“They are all made using exactly the same template, so if an embroiderer is accustomed to working on one of them, they just as easily can work on them all. It comes back to making life as easy for the embroiderer as we can. That counts for a lot in the decoration market," Roger explains.

Another way that Beechfield seeks to help decorators is by adding value to its products through the use of well-known performance fabrics. That's why you will see names such as Coolmax, DuPont, Tactel and Thinsulate featuring strongly in Beechfield headwear.

"We are always on the lookout for ways to incorporate widely recognised performance fabrics into our products to give the customer better value and the decorator an opportunity to achieve higher margins. For example, when a pair of polar fleece gloves has a Thinsulate label, decorators can sell those gloves at a much higher price," says Roger. "The B185 Pro-Style Ball Mark Golf Cap is another good example – it’s a low-cost promotional golf cap, but when you take it out of the box there's a Coolmax label, a Teflon label, a SPF 50+ swingtag… Customers don’t have to look too hard to see the value that the decorator is offering them."

The emphasis on adding quality and value even extends to Beechfield’s entry-level products. "The B10 was our first ever cap. It's available in the widest range of colours and it's a legend in the industry. The taping on the inside of the cap and the sweatband are self-fabric. This means that everything matches perfectly and gives a very high quality, even finish. As far as I know, there is no other cap in the market that has this spec,” Roger tells me. 

The superior quality of Beechfield caps is now something that customers expect – it's become a hallmark of the Beechfield brand. "We sell millions of units a year and the returns would fill only a suitcase. That speaks volumes,” he adds.

Beechfield’s commitment to quality products is matched by its commitment to being a responsible supplier. The brand’s production centres on the Far East and each factory has been audited in terms of social and welfare responsibility.

"Practically every one of our factories has the Walmart seal of approval. They've been pre-audited before we even get there, but for our own peace of mind we have a full third party audit done, which is very expensive. Checking that people are being paid the right rates is absolutely key," says Roger. "And to the best of our knowledge, all our cottons and natural fabrics are grown locally. We would much rather pay a bit more for a garment and have a clear conscience."

Looking ahead

What about the future, I ask. Are hats back in fashion in 2010?

"I look at our new offering and think it's the best we've ever had,” Roger responds. “But we won’t be resting on our laurels,” he adds immediately. “We’re already looking ahead to 2011; looking at ways to develop the Beechfield collection to make our products even easier for printers and embroiderers to decorate and sell. One way will probably involve us becoming even more eco. We're not saying we can do that with all our products, but we are very aware of our responsibilities and customers’ higher expectations in that regard.

"As for hats being back in fashion, our sales in 2009 would suggest that they are, but I'd also say they never went away. The bulk of what we sell is not fashion-led; our core market is corporate. The new high fashion lines are there to generate additional business for decorators and for us. By offering as much choice as possible we’re aiming to give printers and embroiderers the best prospect of increasing their headwear sales in 2010."

For more information about Beechfield products contact your usual Beechfield distributor, or visit the brand’s website: www.beechfield.com

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