2 Decades of Capital Hatters | 20th Anniversary
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2 Decades of Capital Hatters | 20th Anniversary
From the beginning, James Andrae had a goal to not only own his own hat shop, but for the shop to be well known across the United States and to become a staple amongst custom hatters. James was always interested in the trade. His passion for the craft grew during employment at two different hat shops. He loved meeting and satisfying people by making the best or shaping the best hats he possibly could.
On August 15, 2004, Capital Hatters became a reality in James’ own garage. Of course, with anything, James faced many challenges, but from day one, he crafted quality hats. In 2006, James met the woman of his dreams, Kim, and in 2011, they married.
Since those humble beginnings, James and Kim acquired two other custom hat shops and evolved beyond custom felts. The shop now boasts the largest selection of straw hats in the region, coupled with a boot and shoe repair service, along with a saddle and leather repair, in addition to Capital Tack with a line of custom splint boots—all within the 5000 square foot shop in Stephenville, TX.
In shop, we can proudly say our team has over 54 years of hat craftsmanship experience! James, with 25 years; Cody Collins, 15 years at Capital Hatters, and now is the primary hat maker and boot repairer; Kurt Haden, 15 years, showroom and outsales in Missouri and Decatur, Texas; and last but not least, Stacey George, 8 years primary seamstress.
Day-to-day duties in the shop include and are not limited to: taking orders, mailing out orders, helping customers picking up orders, creasing hats, boot repair, sewing hats, and ordering inventory or raw material. We are proud to have a diverse team that each specialize in a certain stage in the hat craftsmanship process, but our whole team knows how to do each and every task in the shop when needed.
Capital Hatters’ success stems from exceptional customer service, the precise attention to detail, and the desire to build the best quality product one possibly can. James commented, “You cannot always please everyone, but you can dang sure try to satisfy them.”. James and Kim enjoy all the ins and outs of the shop, but Kim’s favorite part about the hat shop, she commented is, “Watching James' attention to detail and his craftsmanship. James can pick his hats out a mile away. A value, he has now passed to Cody.”. James and Kim hope to see Capital Hatters continually grow through marketing, networking, and tradeshows within the next five to ten years. Excitingly, Capital Hatters will soon be found in Weatherford, TX...stay tuned!
In regards to Capital Hatters’ 20 year mark, James would like to thank his dedicated staff, he couldn't do it without them; the customers.... old, new and in-between, keep the hat shop rolling and the relationships they have built with many is notable; and also, to his wife Kim, she keeps the boat from sinking, always.
Come see your favorite hat shop at our upcoming shows in 2024 including, the Parker County Ranch Rodeo, the San Angelo Roping Fiesta, the RA Brown Ranch Fall Bull Sale, and the WRCA Finals in Amarillo. As always, we love to see your smiling face in the shop so come see us at 830 E South Loop, Stephenville, TX. Where we don’t just wear’m, we build’m.
Congratulations James & Kim. So proud of a hometown man who is making his mark in this old world.