It all began when German immigrant Ehrhardt Koch, 37, a skilled craftsman, saw an opportunity to redesign the process used and the quality of “fashion” headwear. In 1920, his dream came true when he borrowed money from his sister, Rose, to start New Era Cap Co. His expertise and open-mindedness led to the company producing 60,000 Gatsby-style caps in the first year.
The beginning: Ehrhardt Koch's vision
Ehrhardt Koch, a skilled craftsman, saw an opportunity to redesign the process for making headwear and to elevate the quality of “fashion” headwear. In 1920 he borrowed money from his sister Rose and a co-worker Joe Amerian, and started the E Koch Co. A year later he changed the name to New Era Cap. In the first year, we produced 60,000 Gatsby-style caps.
The transition to baseball caps
In the late 1920s Harold Koch, Ehrhardt’s son, noticed the demand for fashion cap fading and that professional baseball was growing in popularity. He set out to design a more uniform baseball cap. In 1934 Harold sold the newly designed baseball cap to the Cleveland Indians, its first Major League Baseball team. The first New Era professional baseball cap was produced for the Cleveland Indians' uniforms.
Surviving hardships and growth
During World War II, we obtained surplus, plain fabric for caps and dyed it at the family's home to match local teams' colour. By 1950, we were the only independent cap maker supplying caps to big league baseball teams, including the Brooklyn Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, and Detroit Tigers.
Introduction of the 59FIFTY fitted cap
In 1954, Harold re-designed the fitted baseball cap giving it a more contemporary look and calling it the 59FIFTY.
The 59FIFTY fitted silhouette has become a uniform for sport and a symbol of self-expression.
Expansion and increasing popularity
In 1980, we experimented with direct mail marketing and gained popularity in fan-driven licensing across United States. A phone call from famed film Director Spike Lee in 1996, asking for a custom NY Yankees team cap, changed the course of the fitted cap forever, propelling the 59FIFTY to the forefront of street culture fashion. In 1993, we became the exclusive supplier of on-field baseball caps for Major League Baseball which would start in 1994.
Modern Era: Exclusivity and global growth
We expanded into European Football in with official headwear partnerships including Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. In 2012, we became the official sideline cap of the NFL and, in 2016, the official on-court cap of the NBA. Our globalization efforts continued with offices opening in Europe, Japan and Australia in the early 2000s. In 2012 we became the official side-line cap of the NFL, and in 2017 the official on-court cap of the NBA.
New Era today
We remain committed to making great products, building strong relationships, and changing the game in the worlds of both sport and culture. The 59FIFTY cap is continuously evolving, embracing new technologies and materials while retaining its iconic status. Holding our exclusive on-field, sideline, and on-court headwear rights for all three major U.S. leagues, showing our continuous relationships with the biggest sports teams in the US & world.
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