In 1960, Don's mother, a red-haired fair skinned tennis player was frustrated trying to find a visor that was comfortable, machine washable, and truly provided the best sun protetion. It was soon obvious that such a product did not exist, and Elaine Walker decided to try to design one on her own using her home sewing machine on the kitchen table.
After hundreds of revisions, she finally had a visor that met her criteria. Friends requested that she make visors for them, and a local tennis shop asked her if she could make a dozen for them to sell. Soon shops were ordering 3 and 4 dozen at a time. Elaine was amazed, as they were priced 5 times as high as other visors, but customers appreciated the quality and orders continued to pour in. In 1962 Ladies Home Journal wrote her up as busineswoman of the year, and Mom bought her first used industrial sewing machine.
By 1975, Elaine was so busy making visors that she wasn't able to play as much tennis as she wanted. In late 1975, Don took over the business so Elaine could spend her time like she wanted.Don introduced new machinery and hired employees to increase production. Profits were up, but quality (and Don's pride) suffered.
By 1977 Don realized that it was not possible to keep the hand made quality that his customers were paying a premium for in a factory setting. He stopped hiring new employees and for the last five decades every visor and hat has been made by himself and his wife. Of course profits declined, but he had pride of workmanship back.
It is rare when an item ships that is not perfect as every item we sell is made, inspected, and packed by one of the family. We regularly receive battered, worn out visors in the mail with the hope that we still make them. Often people have had the visors for well over 20 years.
After hundreds of revisions, she finally had a visor that met her criteria. Friends requested that she make visors for them, and a local tennis shop asked her if she could make a dozen for them to sell. Soon shops were ordering 3 and 4 dozen at a time. Elaine was amazed, as they were priced 5 times as high as other visors, but customers appreciated the quality and orders continued to pour in. In 1962 Ladies Home Journal wrote her up as busineswoman of the year, and Mom bought her first used industrial sewing machine.
By 1975, Elaine was so busy making visors that she wasn't able to play as much tennis as she wanted. In late 1975, Don took over the business so Elaine could spend her time like she wanted.Don introduced new machinery and hired employees to increase production. Profits were up, but quality (and Don's pride) suffered.
By 1977 Don realized that it was not possible to keep the hand made quality that his customers were paying a premium for in a factory setting. He stopped hiring new employees and for the last five decades every visor and hat has been made by himself and his wife. Of course profits declined, but he had pride of workmanship back.
It is rare when an item ships that is not perfect as every item we sell is made, inspected, and packed by one of the family. We regularly receive battered, worn out visors in the mail with the hope that we still make them. Often people have had the visors for well over 20 years.
Don passed away in 2010, but Debbie has continued the business. She still takes extreme pride in the fact that there are no better visors available, at any price, than Walker's Hat Shop.