Going Mobile Hudson Hawk has grown exponentially in the past five years. In addition to its five shops, the company recently started operating a customized Airstream as a mobile barbershop. “One of the things that Thad and I have always been really involved in—from the very beginning from the second we opened the doors—was our philanthropic push,” Catlett says. Since the beginning they’ve given back by providing free services or donating unsold merchandise to local organizations. “Whether it’s cutting homeless guys’ hair or cutting kids’ hair before school starts,” Catlett says. “Every product or every T-shirt we don’t sell here, we get it to [Great Circle]. We’ve also created a culture with our staff that gives back.” One area they were struggling with, though, was lugging 300- and 400-pound barber chairs around to do these cuts and facing unsanitary conditions. “Cutting hair in auditoriums and gymnasiums and even out on front steps—it was difficult,” Catlett says. That’s why he took it upon himself to renovate an Airstream for the task. He then surprised Forrester with it. “I wanted to create an environment where we could pull up anywhere, at any time and in any weather conditions, and give back to our community,” Catlett says. “Because part of what we do is creating a culture, it’s creating a design aspect to everything we do. Finally, whenever [Forrester] saw it, he was kind of blown away. It’s everything that we do, mobile.” The Airstream’s tailored look sets it apart. The exterior pairs the classic polished silver finish with a matte black paint job that makes the logo practically pop off the side. Two barber chairs and a wash bowl are situated within a refinished interior with creamy white painted walls, wood accents and plenty of clean lines. It feels hip and stylish yet comfortable, making it right on-brand with all of Hudson Hawk’s operations. And for good reason. “We actually have a whole brand guide that we’re using now,” Forrester says. “That’s something we’ve worked with our creative team on, and they’ve made it abundantly clear. Regardless of where you’re at, your logo, your name—these are all a big part of how you’re represented, and we work to make sure that it’s all cohesive.”
40
May/June 2017
The barbers at Hudson Hawk set the company’s fast-paced growth.
In addition to philanthropic events, the team plans to use the Airstream for promotional purposes, including corporate events and festivals across the state and, eventually, even around the country. Currently mobile barbershops and salons are illegal, but since Hudson Hawk doesn’t charge for the cuts they give there, they’re free to operate it as they please. And they’re thinking big with it. “My personal goal is to have 10 Airstreams,” Catlett says.
Looking Ahead After accomplishing such big strides in five years, Catlett and Forrester are in-tune with growing their company, and there’s a lot more to come. The Kansas City shop was the first out-of-Springfield location, but they’ve hinted at plans for more. And opening shops isn’t all they’re doing—they’ve also been working on developing a product line for the past two and a half years. “We’re working with the best scientists and the best chemists to put together a line that is really something special,” Forrester says. The two chose a top American manufacturer to develop three styling products they consider the greatest hits of barbering products. “I’ve been in the industry for 20 years, and Thad has been in it for four years,” Catlett says. “We’ve looked at every men’s grooming line in the country that we’ve sold and that we’ve used, and we’ve taken what’s great about it.” And now they’re working on getting it just right, filling a need they saw years ago. “There were so many issues with the products that we were getting,”
Catlett says. “It was kind of organic in the fact that we really wanted to be able to control the product that we are selling to our clients.” Although the goal is to launch the product line sometime in 2017, they’re not guaranteeing a date at this point. “We don’t want to come to market until it’s the right time,” Forrester says. Just as the growth of the shops is dependent upon finding quality people to stand behind the chair, the launch of the products is dependent upon getting everything right upfront. “We’re all for growth and expansion of our brand, but the thing we’re not willing to sacrifice is the quality in any aspect of anything we do,” Forrester says. “So that’s why everything is being done very deliberately, and with a plan and a lot of good information and support systems and numbers behind it.” But when the time does come, you’ll likely hear about it, and don’t be surprised if you hear a whole lot more about Hudson Hawk. “This is the most exciting year in our company’s history,” Forrester says. “April marked our four-year anniversary, and I feel like we’re just hitting the starting line. It’s a really exciting place to be, for everybody involved.” At the head of it all, Catlett and Forrester are strategically paving the way, supplementing each other’s strengths to grow their Springfield-based barbershop to levels many small businesses never dream of. “We are rock solid in our plans and the way we’re working together now, and it’s exciting,” Forrester says. “We’re totally different people, but we create a really dynamic duo.” BIZ417.COM