Stormy Kromer

An earband sewn onto a ball cap in 1903

George "Stormy" Kromer was a semi-pro baseball player and railroad engineer who kept losing his hat on the train. In 1903 he asked his wife, Ida, to sew an earband onto his favorite ball cap to keep his ears warm and the hat snug. That cap, with its six panels and fold-down band, is still the core of the line.

The brand is now owned by Jacquart Fabric Products, whose chairman is Bob Jacquart, and it is headquartered in Ironwood, near the Wisconsin border. A 2024 Upper Michigan Today segment reported that the Ironwood factory makes about 400 caps a day, in addition to its vests, jackets and other outerwear.

What is sewn in Ironwood

The cap pages on the company's site read "Cut and sewn in the USA with US and globally-sourced materials." That line covers the Original, Ida, Rancher, Waxed Cotton, Sidekick, Trail, Mackinaw, Archer, Midway and Curveball caps and the Lil Kromer for children. The Northwoods Trapper hat, the Button Vest, the Ironwood Vest and the Mackinaw Coat carry the same statement, and the knit beanies, headbands and scarves are knit in the USA. Note the materials clause: some of the wool and fabric is sourced abroad, and the sewing is done here.

What Stormy Kromer imports

The company says nearly all of its manufacturing is done in the USA and that "those few items that aren't created here are made by carefully chosen partners." On its own store, graphic tees and hoodies read "Imported shirts, printed in the USA." The Weekender Flannel Shirt and a collector's pin read "Imported," and a printed coffee mug reads "Imported; Printed in the USA." If you want a US-sewn item, buy the caps, vests and coats, and check the origin line on shirts and gifts.