JEFF TETERS, general manager of the Winchester Hat Corporation for 25 years, said the city of Winchester has always been well known for making hats. Although this hat company was established by the Stratton family out of Illinois in 1971, there has been a hat manufacturer in Winchester since at least the mid-1950s. Teters said it is a trusted company in hat body manufacturing. The company uses fur to craft quality hat bodies that are sold to hat makers for the finished designs.
The cowboy hat, a Southern staple, is one of their best sellers. It has been especially popular with the recent interest in all things country. Song artists in other genres are now creating country music, and clothing brands are currently incorporating a southwestern flair.
Teters said, “This stuff is trending right now. Some times are slower than others, but the last five or six years have been steady. Everybody wants to be western right now.”
Another hat produced by the Winchester Hat Corporation is the iconic shape used for Army drill sergeant hats. Teters said the Stratton family’s hat company in Illinois takes the hat bodies made in Winchester and finishes them to sell to the Army. They have even done work for Homeland Security.
The company is proud to be family-owned and American-made. It is one of only two companies in the United States that make these hat bodies. Teters has no trouble finding clientele.
In fact, Teters said, “They find us!” The company is so well established that they don’t need to advertise. “We have a waitlist of about 50 to 100 deep right now of companies that want to buy from us.”
These customers come from all over the globe. “We have several hundred custom hatters throughout the country and some around the world — Canada, Germany, Japan, Australia — that buy from us,” Teters said.
Teters has been at the company since he graduated high school, working his way up from the bottom to become the general manager. Having worked most of the positions at the company over the years gives him an expert knowledge of the craft he now manages. Teters believes in the company and its exceptional products but said the customers and employees are the heart of his motivation. He values the loyalty of his customers because he knows they can buy their hats elsewhere, sometimes cheaper if imported. Supporting this local business has a ripple effect that also supports other employees.
“You know, there are 40-plus employees here, but on the backside, our job here probably represents another 2,000 to 3,000 people,” Teters said. “If you go to Texas or Wyoming and walk into a store that makes hats, there is a really good chance they are getting them here. If they have salespeople, people finishing hats, and all the other employees — they have those jobs because we supply the bodies. It’s not just about us.” It is a community that Teters has built through trust, dedication, and a well-made, fur-lined hat. GN
