Lawrence Hunt needed a big name, but not too big, when it came to finding an endorsement for its clothing line. The name that fit that bill:
James McCann.
McCann is the starting catcher for the Detroit Tigers, and just the right size of celebrity for the clothing startup: big enough to be known in Metro Detroit, which is where the company is trying to gain a foothold for its breathable-material clothing.
"Helping accelerate the brand's growth is the key," says Jeff Schattner, founder and CEO of
Lawrence Hunt. "We wanted to find someone local so we can focus our growth on Metro Detroit."
Lawrence Hunt got its start a little more than a year ago making dress shirts for men that employ breathable material, like what's used in work-out clothes. The idea is to help keep the person wearing them cooler and limit the amount of sweat that sweeps through, while maintaining a professional appearance. An athlete like McCann appears to be a perfect fit for that.
It now offers six different styles of dress shirts, including four for men and two for women. All of Lawrence Hunt's clothing sales take place on the Internet. Schattner and his team are working to optimize the company's online profile to maximize its sales. They're also working to set up relationships with local boutique retailers and clothing distributors to increase their sales through traditional retailing channels.
"We want to start testing out the distributors and boutiques," Schattner says.
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.