New Reign

New Reign

by Casie Brabham

In 2010 Robert Giles was working as an electrician when he became frustrated by the lack of waterproof and water resistant outwear available on the market.  “I was fed up with either being cold and clammy in expensive traditional rain gear, or soaked and miserable in standard jackets, so I set out to make a hoodie that was comfortable to work in and protected me from the elements.”  Initially Robert only intended to make clothing for his own personal use.  He bought a 1970’s outerwear pattern, bought some fabric in Portland, and hired a seamstress on Craigslist.  A few hundred dollars later he had his “ideal work jacket”.  Robert wore his new gear to work, and when the union guys saw that he was dry at break time, they wanted one too.  In December 2010 Robert and his wife Casey launched New Reign LLC.

Robert and Casey have been fortunate to have just the right contacts and experience to get their business going.  Robert with his expertise in what workman needed, Casey with a degree in Business from the U of O, and a lucky contact with a friend in Vietnam, led them to a manufacturing contract that has allowed them to expand their products to the sportswear realm.  You can now find New Reign products at the Duck Store where the store finds difficultly in keeping them stocked.  In fact they consider this one of their greatest successes “We are excited about our licensing with the University of Oregon and Oregon State University.  We look forward to attaining licensing from other universities in the near future” says Robert.  In addition to licensing their products they do offer custom logo application and personalized products.  “We have custom orders from all over the country.  We recently designed a hoodie for Bayer Seed Farm” says Robert.  As their slogan goes, “When it Pours, We Reign” and it seems it is raining business at New Reign!

Robert and Casey are long-time Lane SBDC clients having come in in 2010 to get advice about how to register their business.  They ultimately decided on an LCC with the assistance of our advisor Suzanne.  Robert says of the Lane SBDC, “The information on how to form an LLC gave us all the tools we needed to succeed.”  Going forward Robert says New Reign has grown to a point the he and Casey will need to start making some big decisions about how they will sustain their growth and expand their product line, “we are planning to release waterproof versions of our designs by Winter 2018.”  Lane SBDC is committed to helping New Reign meet their goals and thrive.

When asked what advice Robert has for someone contemplating starting a new business “I would tell anyone who is planning to start a business to go for it.  Invest in yourself, believe in your dreams.  Create the best products possible and love the process.  Your time on Earth is finite, spend time doing what you love!”  Here at the Lane SBDC we pledge to help you do just that!  Come see us and start your dreams today.

 

Learn More About New Reign.

Check out this client video with New Reign!