Analysis

W. Alboum Hat Co. was established in 1921 in Irvington, New Jersey and has been in the same spot ever since. This speaks volumes for a company who continues to thrive in an area of the country where cowboy hats are mainly used as props or Halloween costumes. This is why most of the orders are shipped to Texas and Oklahoma where cowboy wear is part of everyday life. The business strategy behind W. Alboum Co. is to always continue to grow. While on the tour, we were told that within the next two years they see the company growing to a wholesale. Although they were not specific in direct strategy it became very clear very fast that customer loyalty is what has helped make this business so successful. On their website, President Stuart Alboum has a letter inscribed to his customers explaining that his mission is to give each customer the best prices possible and the best value for their dollar. He then goes on to say that all business is greatly appreciated and that all of his employees work hard to make each customer happy. By growing to wholesale and building on a foundation that has already been laid out, it is crucial that a company has the clientele to back up all future plans. Another important factor which contributes to their success is their high production with low prices and they are able to make a profit by doing this. Some of the machinery looked as though it had been around since the doors first opened and although this can bring production down when a machine goes out, it also calls for lower overhead expenses. W. Alboum Co. is recognized by their brand name and this has allowed them to reach and keep a very loyal customer base.

Cowboy hats are mostly made of felt. Felt is another word for animal fur, mostly of rabbit and beaver. Felt hats are much different than cloth or woolen fabrics, because they are made from short, single animal fibers that interlock and twist with one another. (Rand’s, 2013) These fibers can be easily manipulated after being soaked with cold, hot water and steam. (Rand’s, 2013) Felt is the strongest because the small fibers can be interlocked in all directions with many different fibers at once. Unlike other fabrics that are twisted into threads by hand or machine. In time these fabrics can be ripped or torn apart. (Rand’s, 2013)

Felt is also a very smooth fabric because of the essential reaction from these tiny fibers locking with one another. (Rand’s, 2013) It is also the lightest material known and ironically; a very tough and resilient fabric. (Rand’s, 2013) It is a due to the close and tight locking of these small fur fibers that keep the hat from being damaged. This prevents wear and tear, and soaking up moisture. (Rand’s, 2013) It can be made by rabbit hair for a low to medium price range. High price ranges are made from beaver fur. (Rand’s, 2013)

The process of felting is done by first dipping it in hot and cold water with chemical solutions to shock the fibers. (Cowboy, 2006) Thus making microscopic hairs lock and intertwine with each other. (Cowboy, 2006) This creates the material called felt, which is used in cowboy hats. This mixture of furs gives the hats a longer life cycle and better quality and shape. After this mixing, the fur looks like cotton, soft and with a dull and grayish color. (Rand’s, 2013)

The next step is to remove the long hairs out from the fur. It is more important to keep the soft pelt under the fur, which provides warmth and comfort. (Cowboy, 2006) Next the fur is run through a shearing machine to be cut into smaller pieces that will be used for assembling the hats. Then it’s put into a blower where dirt and skin can be separated from the fur. This is actually done more than once to make sure the fur is completely clean. (Cowboy, 2006)

The fur is next weighted for the exact amount needed for a felt hat. (Cowboy, 2006) It is then put into a machine where it is again washed in hot and cold water and applied with pressure to form cones as high as three feet tall. (Cowboy, 2006) This is done in a forming machine. On the floor is a copper cone about 3 feet high pointing upward. This cone revolves slowly, and an exhaust fan beneath it sucks the air, and the loose fur, in the chamber down to the cone. (Rand’s, 2013)

This process is the key to hat making. As the fan is sucking the fur to the cone, the fibers interlock more with each other. (Rand’s, 2013) Once this is over, the employee wraps the cone with a wet burlap cloth in order to carefully remove the fur off the cylinder. (Rand’s, 2013) Then the cone is dumped into hot water where the felting starts and combining these tiny fibers. (Rand’s, 2013) The cones is then folded into a smaller fabric with the utmost care and processed through a roller which again uses hot and cold water to further tighten the fibers together. After this is done the cone is now much smaller and thicker than how it began. (Cowboy, 2006) This is the bottle-neck of the process because it is time consuming when the felt has to be put through the roller once more if it fails inspection. Even the workmen on the machines have to constantly adjust the rollers and inspect that the correct amount of water and temperature is being applied to the fur. At the end of this process the fur is so tightly felted that a strong man cannot pull it apart. (Rand’s, 2013)

Now the felt is ready to be stretched into a basic shape. It is done on a machine where metal clamps grips the brim and stretches the felt. (Rand’s, 2013) The hat is stretched and shaped over a wooden block made from the American Poplar tree. (Rand’s, 2013) Each block has a unique shape and size to accommodate different orders.

Next, the hat is dyed to its specified colors. This is done with the most technical skill. (Rand’s, 2013) Once that is completed, the hat is spun in a sanding machine which helps remove extra hairs and smoothes out the surface of the hat. (Cowboy, 2006) The completed hat is then taken to quality control where it is inspected thoroughly for defects or imperfections. (Cowboy, 2006)