From spare bedroom to 10,000+ customers: How wholesalehats.com built a wholesale headwear empire
Not many wholesale businesses can look back across more than 45 years and say they’re still growing. Most don’t make it past the first decade. wholesalehats.com is one of the exceptions. It is a leading, trusted source for wholesale hat in the U.S., with more than 45 years of growth since 1979, currently serving 10,000+ customers nationwide and globally, specializing in wholesale blank hats in bulk, with additional custom embroidery services available upon request.
The 1979 beginning: A family business built on a passion for quality headwear
The company didn’t start with a warehouse or a website. In 1979, it began as a family business operating out of a spare bedroom, driven by a genuine passion for quality headwear. The work at that stage was straightforward: importing hats and getting them into the hands of local retailers, entirely through direct relationships, long before eCommerce existed. That foundation, connecting dependable sourcing with strong brand partnerships and reliable service, stayed consistent even as the scale changed dramatically over the following decades.
From brick-and-mortar to a nationwide online wholesale platform
When the internet reshaped how commerce worked, wholesalehats.com moved with it. The physical storefront gave way to an online wholesale store, but the core commitment to quality and consistency carried over. Today, the online store carries 600+ styles of wholesale blank hats and headwear, including trucker hats, snapbacks, dad hats, beanies, fitted hats, and performance hats, sourced from 30+ manufacturers, including Richardson, New Era, Flexfit, and Imperial. The customer base spans retail, promotions, uniforms, and private-label programs across businesses of every size.
The scale that speaks for itself: who trusts wholesalehats.com
45 years of consistent operation have built a customer list that reflects the full range of the wholesale market. wholesalehats.com has served organizations including the NBA, NFL, MLB, NASA, Google, Amazon, and the United States Army, alongside retailers, embroiderers, screen printers, distributors, corporations large and small, national and state parks, amusement parks, and special events purchasers. The breadth of that list is the clearest measure of what the platform has delivered over time.
To learn more about wholesalehats.com, including the company’s history and approach, the About page covers the full story.
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What keeps wholesalehats.com relevant after 45+ years
The online store is run by a leadership team with specialized roles across every part of the operation. Sharon, as President, manages strategic direction and long-term supplier relationships. Brian Burr, COO, oversees operations and distribution with 30 years of direct industry experience. Brooke, VP of Sales, supports wholesale clients across product selection, order planning, and program execution. Jason, as eCommerce Director, manages the online buying experience for customers, handling bulk hat purchases.
A flexible MOQ range of 24 units to tens of thousands means the same online store serves a small shop restocking a single style and a national buyer placing a high-volume order. A live answering service available 24/7 ensures customers can reach the team at any point. Custom embroidery services are also available for buyers who need branded hats alongside their blank hat orders.
Built order by order, year by year
The story of wholesalehats.com makes one thing clear: longevity in wholesale doesn’t happen on its own. It gets built through individual orders fulfilled correctly, customer relationships maintained over years, and a platform that keeps pace with how buyers actually work. More than 45 years in the wholesale hats market, that foundation remains the reason retailers and organizations across the country keep coming back.
