NEW ERA HATS Alex Jones Chris Zales A.J. Smith

HISTORY Founded by Ehrhardt Koch Second mortgage $5000, 14 employees, and a promise! Now 4 th generation management

HISTORY Cont’d 1930’s Fitted Baseball caps to Spalding & Wilson 1940’s Sells directly to teams as NEW ERA brand name Fifty cap became official hat of MLB 1994 Spike Lee started non-traditional colors Now operating in Canada, Europe, and Japan Has been the leader in hat sales since the introduction of fitted caps

STRENGTHS Dominance of the hat retail industry Strong brand loyalty Largest sports licensed headwear company in the United States Available everywhere Malls Outlet stores Several online retailers including such as Lids, Just Sports, Champs, Foot Locker, neweracaps.com

STRENGTHS Cont’d Control of the “Fashion” cap market, Rap and Hip-Hop Manufacturer of hats for almost all professional and amateur sports teams Team hats available in several colors not just team colors Apparel and accessories Caters to all kinds of people

WEAKNESSES No stand-alone New Era retail stores Actual Sizes can vary on different styles Risky to buy online 100% wool can shrink when wet Expensive compared to others Lack of non-fitted caps Adjustable Snaps, Straps, Velcro Women who wear pony tails or buns

OPPORTUNITIES Moving into markets other than just caps -Beanies -Accessories (Sunglasses, Necklaces, Wristbands) -Clothing -Sports Equipment Athlete Endorsements -None right now Go Green -100% Organic Wool

THREATS Fakes / Counterfeits - eBay - Online sites that claim they sell authentic New Era Reebok - NFL Contract - NBA Contract

REFERENCES ory?id= cap.htm