NEWS
MacGregor Golf agrees to acquire the Greg Norman Collection apparel business from the adidas Group.
Bite introduces it latest golf shoe, the Charter.
APPAREL
Getting Ahead
By Janice Ferguson
GPA Fashion Correspondent
Ahead. Pronounced with a short "a" - as in ahead of the game, a step ahead, forge ahead. Precisely what the company, Ahead, has been and continues doing.
Most people would immediately associate Ahead with, well, headwear -- mainly the logo caps we buy at tournaments, find in our pro shops or purchase at resorts.
For more than a decade, the company has revolutionized how the golf community addresses their need to better brand headwear with innovative approaches to logo embroidery options - woven appliqué, rubber appliqué, etc. Ahead is well known for its premium quality, attention to detail, value and creative gift packaging.
Golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player all wear Ahead headwear. Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk, Aaron Baddeley, Charles Howell III, Luke Donald and Sean O'Hair also wear Ahead hats exclusively while on the PGA Tour. In addition, the list of licensed products for events and organizations is extensive.
You could say that Ahead started at the top with hats, and then worked its way down in the past five years to develop a line of men's performance shirts and outerwear. Why make this leap to the apparel side of the business in what's already perceived as a very competitive market?
"When we started in the headwear business in 1995, we realized there was a huge opportunity for quality headwear with innovative ornamentation," Ahead CEO and founder Ken Schwartz said. "Our success in headwear paved the way for a natural progression into apparel in 2001, where we recognized there was also a market for quality apparel with great ornamentation.
"Golfers who know our brand for headwear, now look for Ahead apparel and accessories."
When it comes to impressing tournament guests, Ahead's gift pack presentations will make you a hero. There is a spectrum of choices for every budget -- from simple accessories such as logo ball markers and divot tools, all the way to gift boxes containing a shirt with a matching hat and repair kit.
But these aren't the only company ventures that have come to fruition. Chuck Lord was the first employee Schwartz hired and he remains the creative force behind Ahead. As the chief creative officer, Lord oversees an arsenal of creative talent that consistently works on setting the standard for new logo design techniques.
If the name Lord sounds familiar, you might be thinking of the brand Kate Lord for women, also part of the Ahead family - literally. While Chuck Lord was honeymooning in Martha's Vineyard with his wife Kate, they spent a dinner hour sketching a classic straw hat that she was searching for as a souvenir of their wonderful vacation.
Those thoughts and scribbles evolved into more hats and an entire collection of golf apparel, headwear and accessories for women.
We guess being married to your work isn't such a bad thing after all.
For information, go to www.aheadweb.com.
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