Episode 230: Behind Cutter & Buck’s Astounding Growth with Joel Freet, CEO
Cutter and Buck is a brand many of us are familiar with but like so many of our trusted partners, we know so much about their product and so little about their company, which is why we love talking with folks like our guest today, Joel Freet the CEO at Seattle-based Cutter & Buck.
Get this: Joel’s dream was always to work in the apparel industry, both of his parents worked in the apparel industry, and at the age of 8, he wrote an essay describing his dream of running a clothing company. He began as an intern for the Tournament Division with Cutter & Buck but when it came time to apply for a full-time gig at the company he was rejected not just once, but twice.
Never one to back down, he applied a third time and finally had the opportunity to work as an Assistant to the Tournament Division in 1999. Over the next fifteen years, he developed his leadership in several business channels for the brand including Golf, Corporate, International, Brand Development and Licensing.
In 2014, Joel became CEO of Cutter & Buck. What a journey for that little essayist and rejected intern who today runs one of the most successful supplier businesses in both retail and corporate. Year to date, Cutter and Buck has achieved their highest sales compared to anytime in their past decade. We chat with Joel about
Cutter’s retail versus wholesale and corporate business
The tremendous strides they’ve taken in sustainability and digitization
Joel compares our industry’s adoption of technology to retail and it’s a fascinating perspective because he sits in a unique position to observe both sides
And you’ll also be surprised at how corporate trends are now the influencer over retail
Join us as we chat with Joel about his journey, the story behind Cutter & Bucks recent growth, and the incredible impact they have made through their sustainability initiatives.