A sustainable TreeCap, made in Europe. This has long been high on our list of goals. From now on, our TreeCaps will be manufactured exclusively in Europe. A long-held goal has finally been realized, but it has been an incredibly long and nerve-wracking road to get here. Learn more about the lengthy development of the new TreeCaps made in Europe.
Summer has definitely arrived here – and when it's hot, it's important to protect yourself while sunbathing. The new TreeCaps provide the perfect solution and protect your head from overheating. What's more, for every TreeCap, a tree is planted in a needy place around the world.
We are incredibly proud to now also produce our TreeCaps in Europe. The cotton used is BCI (Better Cotton Initiative) certified, and the design was created entirely in Switzerland. We were impressed by the quality and production on-site in Bulgaria and look forward to a successful collaboration with our new European partner.
The first series of TreeCaps
The first batch of our TreeCaps was one of our last products still produced in Asia. Via an Austrian intermediary who sewed the NIKIN labels onto the raw caps, the caps eventually reached us in Lenzburg and from there throughout Europe. We had an initial batch produced and tested their popularity with our customers. The TreeCaps, whether snapback or 5-panel, were an immediate hit; almost more TreeCaps were ordered in the summer than Treeanies in the winter.
Our criteria were clear from the start
It was clear to us from the start that if the TreeCaps were well received, we would strive for sustainable and fair production in Europe as soon as possible. We also wanted to implement custom designs and cuts for the caps. This means that we would no longer have our logo sewn onto a raw, standard cap; instead, we would completely determine the design, including the cut and dimensions, thus offering "our own" cap that stands out from conventional standard caps.
The search began
"Unfortunately, the supplier I was considering also produces in China. So I'm at my wit's end. I've even contacted all our Turkish contacts, who know each other. Unfortunately, to no avail..." – Excerpt from a retailer's email
We were shocked to discover that of the approximately 60 "European" manufacturers and distributors we contacted, around 99% don't actually produce in Europe, but rather in the Far East or America. Many of them even responded with advice to not even try and give up the search for truly European manufacturers. One of our established criteria, European production, was already a major first hurdle.
This 1% had to be found
We persisted and hired a Swiss trading company to help us with the search. After several weeks and extensive research, a glimmer of hope suddenly appeared: a Turkish producer (on European soil) was found. We desperately wanted to be ready for the start of the upcoming cap season (spring/summer 2019), and since it was only summer 2018 at the time, we believed we still had plenty of time to implement the European-made cap.
Time began to run away from us
Naturally, we were relieved that we were finally able to locate a European producer, even though this manufacturer had never made caps before. This wasn't a problem, however, as they were able to get help from other partners. It all sounded a bit suspect, but since we were under a lot of time pressure and desperate to move forward, we took the risk and had samples produced according to our expectations for CHF 1,000. At the time, we were told that it would take between two and four weeks for the first samples to be delivered. Further communication took place via the trading company, which passed on our ideas, from the cut to the embroidery, to the Turkish manufacturer. We didn't hear anything for a long time, and we grew impatient.
"We've been waiting quite a while for the samples to be delivered. There was talk of 2-4 weeks for the first samples. But months have already passed. We were supposed to start production in December 2018 so we'd be ready for spring. It's all getting pretty tight now. " – Excerpt from the email to the trading company
A setback, but we didn't give up
In the meantime, so as not to lose any more time, we continued our search for producers. At the same time, we enlisted the help of the Austrian trader of our first cap series. He apparently had contact with a manufacturer in the Czech Republic who was also willing to produce some samples for us. By then, it was already autumn, and time was running out.
An unexpected glimmer of hope
Suddenly we received an email from one of the manufacturers we had previously contacted, who responded to our inquiry and claimed to actually produce caps in Bulgaria.
"Thank you for your inquiry regarding snapback caps. We are familiar with this type of cap, but it will be difficult for us to offer a better price than Asian manufacturers. However, please provide us with more information regarding quality, colors, etc., so we can refine our offer." – Excerpt from the translated email from the Bulgarian manufacturer
Things are finally moving forward
A reputable and suitable manufacturer was finally found. However, one hurdle was that they only worked with conventional materials, polyester and acrylic. After much back and forth, we finally convinced them to look for more sustainable materials. The material we were originally aiming for was certified organic cotton, but we had to compromise first. We were then able to agree on a certified cotton (BetterCotton Initiative; www.bettercotton.org ), with the clear goal of switching to organic cotton soon, should the collaboration continue.
We wanted to know exactly
A European producer that came pretty close to what we were looking for was found. But to be absolutely sure, we wanted to check and make sure our caps were truly European, as apparently there are many companies that sell "European" products but actually manufacture them in Asia. We asked the Bulgarian owner, George:
"Just to be sure, the production of these caps takes place in Bulgaria, right? Does your company have international certifications?" – Excerpt from the translated email to George
"Production takes place in our factory in Bulgaria. We do not have international certification, but we are SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit; www.sedexglobal.com ) certified to guarantee good and ethical practices." – Excerpt from George's translated answer
We also requested a video evidence showing the conditions in production, as well as all other information about this company.
Finally the samples are released
It took a few more weeks, and shortly before Christmas we received samples from Turkey and the Czech Republic, although these exceeded the deadline by several months, and a sample from Bulgaria, which arrived pretty much on time.
We examined the various samples carefully according to our criteria and realized that our satisfaction with the first two samples was quite limited. While the Turkish sample wasn't bad in terms of quality, our wishes weren't taken into account at all, and it turned out that it wasn't even produced in Europe. The Czech cap didn't look promising and was far from what we had imagined.
The only thing we were satisfied with was the Bulgarian producer, who we noticed was really trying to make a good sample.
Our further decisions
Before placing a bulk order, we decided to request another sample from all three producers and explain our improvements as accurately as possible.
Many of the samples were far from what we had in mind, so further adjustments had to be made.
Time continued to pass rapidly and became increasingly tight. We had announced the release of the European TreeCaps for spring 2019, and since all three producers reported further delays, we had to choose one of the three producers before the requested samples arrived. After weighing all the factors, we decided on the Bulgarian manufacturer. A spring release was already very tight, but now focusing on just one producer accelerated the process.
"Thank you for choosing our company. We agree that there will be some customization of the samples, and we await the details from you. This morning, I requested the color samples from the factory; we will have a mid-week deadline to receive them. Regarding your question about weekly shipments, I confirm that this is feasible. Once I have the price for the thicker fabric, I will send you our final offer. I hope to have the price before the end of the week." – Excerpt from George's translated response to our confirmation.
He was naturally delighted that we chose him, and from then on, we began to build a good partnership. Further adjustments were made to the cap, and while the material still has room for improvement, it's already much better than before. We can be incredibly proud to be possibly one of the only brands to manufacture its caps in Europe.
A long and nerve-wracking journey with a happy ending
The road to this point has been difficult and, as we were repeatedly disappointed, often depressing. But we didn't give up and always believed: a cap made in Europe must be possible! We've done it. Even though European production costs us significantly more than it would in Asia, we are now offering our completely self-designed and European-made cap, made from sustainable materials, at a fair yet affordable price.
Visit to the TreeCap production in Bulgaria
After a long but successful search for a suitable European producer for our TreeCaps, we wanted to get a firsthand look at the production facility in northwest Bulgaria. The owner, George, gave us a tour of his facilities, demonstrated every single production step, and left a truly fantastic impression. We look forward to a successful collaboration with our new European partner. Watch our visit in the video !
The visit to Bulgaria was a great success!
