Field Notes

Imperial and its parent company Paramount Apparel International, is proud to announce it has been acquired by CPC LLC, a Kansas City-based family office investment firm. CPC, whose mantra is “Buy, Build, Hold,” was formed by the partners of Curran Companies and C3 Capital with the shared vision of becoming world class partners for great companies. CPC is a company, not a traditional private equity fund, that seeks to make long-term investments and grow businesses over decades, not years. “Imperial is exactly the type of business with which CPC is looking to partner,” said Wiley Curran, Principal at CPC LLC. “It is well-managed, a brand leader in its category, has high standards for conducting business and strongly positioned for expansion. We are looking forward to a bright future and longstanding partnership with Imperial.” There will be no changes to the operations of Imperial or its parent company, Paramount Apparel International. All manufacturing and distribution facilities in the state of Missouri will continue to operate as usual. Also, management for Imperial will remain fully intact, focusing on the continued growth and success of the 105-year old brand. “We are extremely excited about CPC’s acquisition of Paramount, including the Imperial brand,” said Todd Johnson, President & Chief Operating Officer of Paramount Apparel International. “CPC has made it very clear how committed they are to the future of Imperial, as well as the long-term success of our Company. Their strategy to buy, build and hold businesses is aligned with the current ownership’s vision for the future of Imperial and Paramount.”

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. "Imperial is extremely proud to extend our partnership with the AJGA and remain the 'Official Headwear of the AJGA' through 2026," said David Shaffer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Imperial. "Growing the game and supporting junior golf are commitments that our Company takes very seriously. As an AJGA alum myself, I have the utmost respect for the AJGA as an organization, the individuals who run it, and the role they play in this important process to maintain the game we all love." As the ‘Official Headwear of the AJGA’ Imperial will continue to distribute hats to all players across our 120 plus events and their qualifiers annually. AJGA staff and interns will also continue to exclusively wear Imperial headwear at all AJGA events. Members of future Wyndham Cup, and PING Junior Solheim Cup teams will also sport Imperial hats as part of their team uniform. AJGA membership will receive a 20% discount, accessed through the Player Center, to purchase products from the expansive Imperial line. Imperial also offers an exclusive AJGA collection of hats, visors, and bucket hats. “We are thrilled to re-sign Imperial as an Official Partner of the AJGA and continue having them as the ‘Official Headwear of the AJGA’ through 2026”, AJGA Chief Business Officer Jason Etzen said. “We look forward to continuing to be amongst the long list of golf industry affiliations of Imperial for years to come.” Members can also expect to see a rebrand of the membership ‘Weekly Preview’ newsletter with Imperial taking over presenting sponsorship of the email platform. The weekly serves to inform the membership of application deadlines amongst other topics to develop the next generation of golf. The AJGA will continue to share unique throwbacks of alumni and noteworthy moments via the ‘Imperial Throwbacks’ platform on @AJGAGolf Instagram and Twitter. Additionally, Imperial will be a major partner of a future invitational in 2022 and 2024.

Imperial was recently voted the #1 headwear brand across the board for Public, Private and Resort golf facilities by the Association of Golf Merchandisers (AGM) for the first time in recent history. Imperial has previously been voted the #1 headwear brand for Private golf facilities for five consecutive years and #1 for Public facilities for the first time ever last year. For 2021 however, the AGM Annual Member Survey of top sellers by facility type reported Imperial as #1 in headwear in all three categories. "Imperial has been a consistent supplier to golf professionals and merchandisers since 1916 and provides expert craftsmanship, style and comfort in the ever-changing golf industry," said Patrick Casey, AGM President and Assistant General Manager at Brentwood Country Club of Los Angeles. "Their ability to provide product that has evolved with the business and game of golf, while still offering a classic and traditional offering makes them an ideal partner for golf shops in today’s retail market." Founded in 1916, Imperial Headwear is the leading manufacturer of premium quality headwear, apparel and accessories for the golf market. Imperial’s products can be found at 97 of the Top 100 and over 70% of the Top 400 Golf Courses in the United States. “Imperial is very proud to have been voted the #1 headwear brand in golf this year by the AGM,” said David Shaffer, President of Imperial. “The membership of the AGM represents the best merchandisers in the country, and to have this group vote Imperial the best headwear brand is an amazing accomplishment and the culmination of a lot of hard work from our entire team.”

To view a digital catalog of Imperial’s 2022 Collection, please click here. To view a digital catalog of Imperial’s 2022 Quick Turn Import Only styles, please click here. The new product catalogs debut for Imperial sales representatives and customers today. The 2022 Collection from Imperial continues to build on the brand’s comprehensive selection of headwear, apparel and accessories. Overall, 16 new headwear styles were added to the line this year, in addition to dozens of new color options for their best sellers. “Imperial has the most complete catalog in the golf industry and it’s extremely easy to navigate,” said Greg Morris, Director of Golf at The Summit Club in Las Vegas, Nevada. “There is literally something for everyone in their line.” Perhaps the most exciting announcement from Imperial is a new Custom Rope Cap Program. For years, Imperial’s ‘retro fit’ performance rope cap,The Wrightson, has developed into one of the best selling hats in golf. In order to provide more variety to their customers, Imperial has added five additional base fabric colors to create a collection of 14 total colors that can be combined with any of their 32 solid and multi-color ropes in small quantities. Optional white and black meshbacks are available as well. The brand has also expanded their lineup of stock rope cap styles in this collection. New for 2022 is a lightweight cotton version called The Barnes and a washed pigment dyed style called The Manifold. Imperial has also built a Mile High Fit rope cap called The Grand Teton , as well as a 6-panel rope hat with a multi-color rope and metal eyelets called The Habanero. Other notable highlights of Imperial’s 2022 collection include: The Humdinger Built off the same unstructured silhouette as Imperial’s best-sellingX210P - The Original Performance , this new style is made from lightweight, breathable performance poly fabric in heathered yarn. The Oglethorpe The Oglethorpe is a knit performance tonal camo cap. Its performance fabric has all of the lightweight breathability and popular moisture wicking features as the styles in Imperial’s core performance collection. WhereThe Oglethorpe proves to be unique is in its knit texture and tonal camo pattern with contrasting black undervisor. The Whitaker This modern and luxurious take on a classic performance cap features a lightweight ‘washed’ poly fabric, which gives it a soft brushed look and feel. In the back, it includes Imperial’s brand new rubberized hook & loop closure in black. The Hullabaloo In another modernization of a classic trend, Imperial recognized the resurgence in popularity of tie-dye patterns withThe Hullabaloo. The most colorful addition to their 2022 lineup is a new lightweight performance poly fabric style that comes in multi-color, pink or blue tie-dye. “For 2022, we’ve focused on expanding our best selling rope hat styles and colorways, as well as offering new fabrics with an emphasis on rich color palettes and playful patterns, said David Shaffer, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Imperial. “We are committed to bringing unique hats to the golf market that consumers recognize uniquely as Imperial, therefore allowing our customers to enjoy swift sell through and great margins.”