#1 headwear brand in golf purchases belt-maker J.T. Spencer
BOURBON, MO – Imperial, the #1 golf headwear brand in the combined on and off course retail channels as recently reported by Golf Datatech and voted #1 headwear brand by the Association of Golf Merchandisers (AGM), announced today the acquisition of J.T. Spencer, an American belt manufacturer based in Richmond, Virginia. J.T. Spencer is the official belt licensee of Peter Millar and operates Peter Millar’s custom logo green grass belt program.
Imperial also reported the extension of the belt license with Peter Millar to add to its existing T-shirt license with Peter Millar. Going forward Imperial will continue offering custom logo embroidered and ChromaCrown Peter Millar belts and accessories, as well as custom logo Peter Millar T-shirts, through Peter Millar sales representatives.
“Peter Millar has had a great relationship over the years with both Imperial and J.T. Spencer,” said Todd Martin, President of Peter Millar Golf. “We are very excited our partners have joined forces and look forward to growing our licensed goods with Imperial and their team.”
There will be no immediate changes to the operations of J.T. Spencer. All manufacturing and distribution will remain in operation out of its current facility in Richmond, Virginia. Imperial is headquartered in Bourbon, Missouri, and owns factories in the cities of Sullivan, Winona, Ellington, Park Hills and Bonne Terre.
“When we started J.T. Spencer eight years ago, I could not have imagined the successful journey we would have in the golf world, and joining the Imperial family is just the next step in continuing our incredible growth trajectory,” said Steve DeWalle, President of J.T. Spencer. “We love that we will be continuing to work with Peter Millar on their custom belt and accessories program and are thrilled at the opportunity to build the Peter Millar licensed T-shirt program Imperial has started.”
DeWalle and his partner, Spens Woodroof, will be staying on with Imperial post-acquisition to manage the transition and the Peter Millar licensed businesses going forward.
“J.T. Spencer makes the best belts in the game,” said David Shaffer, Senior Vice President of Sales at Imperial. “I have been observing their business growing rapidly over the past few years due to extremely hard working people, quality products made right here in the United States, and a strong association with the Peter Millar brand. We are very excited to streamline Peter Millar’s industry leading belts with our Peter Millar T-shirt program and have Steve DeWalle leading the charge for us.”
Imperial’s parent company, Paramount Apparel International, was also recently acquired at the end of 2021 by CPC, whose mantra is “Buy, Build, Hold.” CPC 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.
“Paramount is extremely proud of Imperial and now the acquisition of J.T. Spencer,” said Todd Johnson, CEO of Paramount Apparel International. “The synergies J.T. Spencer has with Peter Millar only strengthen our relationship with them too. The combination of our manufacturing capabilities coupled with the Peter Millar brand position us well for expansion. We are looking forward to a bright future and longstanding partnership with Peter Millar.”
About J.T. Spencer
Founded in 2014, J.T. Spencer is a belt and accessories manufacturer, and an official licensee of Peter Millar. Through their relationship with Peter Millar, J.T. Spencer’s products can be found in 85 of the Top 100 Golf courses in the United States, at colleges and university bookstores across the country and golf shops in the United Kingdom, Asia, Canada and South Africa. J.T. Spencer is based in Richmond Virginia. For further information, please visit JTSpencer.com.
About Imperial
Founded in 1916, Imperial is the leading manufacturer of premium quality headwear, apparel and accessories for the golf market. Imperial’s products can be found at 99 of the Top 100 and over 70% of the Top 400 golf courses in the United States. Imperial is committed to style, functionality and perfection in fit and comfort. It is this commitment that has allowed the creation of a wide variety of headwear and apparel with quality that is second to none. Renowned for its superior customer service and art customization capabilities, Imperial offers its products using the most innovative fabrics and designs, as well as logo decoration and embellishment technologies. For further information please visit Imperialsports.com. Follow Imperial on Twitter and Instagram at @ImperialHats and on Facebook at facebook.com/ImperialHeadwear.
Contact:
David Shaffer
Senior Vice President, Sales
dshaffer@imperialsports.com
