In February, Bollman Hat Company received a letter from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which stated that it received information that Bollman may be incorrectly promoting some of its products as 100% made in the US even though the products may contain foreign content.
The majority of products produced by Bollman at its Adamstown factory, which is America’s oldest hat factory, are made of wool materials, which are permitted under the Wool Product Labeling Act to be labeled as Made in USA. A portion of finished hats produced by Bollman in the US are made of straw, fur, or synthetic fibers sourced from outside the US and are not permitted to be advertised as Made in USA without qualification. While Bollman intended to correctly label these non-wool products as Made in the USA of globally sourced materials, some hats were found that were labeled Made in USA without qualification. Bollman also now knows that the American Made Matters® logo cannot be used in connection with these non-wool products without qualification.
Bollman Hat Company never intended to suggest that all of the products that it sells are Made in USA, and no product that was finished outside the US was ever labeled as Made in USA. One of the core values of the company, which is now celebrating its 150th year, has been acting with integrity for the long term. Bollman cooperated fully with the FTC and has ensured that its labels and marketing materials for nonwool products are in compliance with FTC standards.
Bollman is proud of its American manufacturing heritage and leadership in promoting American-made or assembled products. Bollman accepts the federal law and guidance on US origin claims as it is today, but hopes in the future it is updated to reflect commercial realities associated with sourcing materials in the United States.
