FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 Years of Success: The Inside Scoop on 5.11 Tactical
Law
enforcement and military personnel worldwide consistently choose 5.11
Tactical Pants for both on- and off-duty wear. The practical,
seven-pocket pants with the trademark slash pockets and utility strap
have enjoyed a considerable following for the past 30 years and
counting. The pants are so comfortable and functional, they’ve become
an industry staple.
The brainchild of legendary rock climber
Royal Robbins, the pants were originally created as climbing apparel.
Susie Tompkins, founder of clothing giant Esprit, assisted friends
Royal and Liz Robbins with the design. “She knew how to make clothes
fit, and the fit is what made Esprit such a popular brand,” says 5.11
Tactical, Inc. CEO Dan Costa.
“There are about 40 critical
measurements on a pair of pants,” Costa continues. “The specs for our
5.11 pants and other clothing are a guarded secret – they’re what make
5.11 so popular. They just fit everyone!” He notes that the formula for
5.11 Tactical Pants has been improved and updated over time, resulting
in strong sales.
Several years ago, the Robbins’ hired Dan
Costa – a gifted entrepreneur with a knack for transforming declining
companies into prosperous businesses – as a consultant. One thing led
to another and Costa eventually purchased Royal Robbins. With a track
record that included 25 years in the restaurant and food processing
industries, Costa learned a number of valuable lessons that helped
transform his new company.
For example, early in his career,
Costa wanted to create as many restaurants as fast as possible.
Thinking outside the box, he began making large quantities of pasta and
sauces at a central, off-site kitchen and transported them to his
restaurants. The revolutionary concept was so successful, he opened 30
“kitchenless” restaurants in Northern California.
Before long,
Costa saw an opportunity to market his prepared foods to other
restaurants and large hotels such as the Hilton and Marriott. “As we
became a larger food supplier, our competitive edge was creating fresh,
gourmet foods with great taste at really low prices,” he says, adding,
“It was more profitable for companies to buy from us than to go through
their usual supplier or make it themselves.”
Supermarkets were
next. “We started making private label pasta and sauces for Safeway and
Costco stores across the country,” he says. Costa found that he could
compete effectively with established national food suppliers by keeping
operating costs as low as possible.
By applying key principles
like these, Costa moved struggling Royal Robbins out of the financial
red and into the black by working directly with factories, involving
workers in design and development, finding direct sourcing and cutting
out middlemen. Other issues such as untimely deliveries and low
retailer profit margins were also addressed. Through perseverance and
Costa’s astute business acumen, rapid success with his new company was
achieved. For instance, he says, “Royal Robbins’ 5.11 pants sold for
$60 in 1999. Today, those same pants with improved quality and more
features through 5.11 Tactical are $39.99.”
Shortly after
Costa bought Royal Robbins, he met with the company’s largest
customers. One stood out: the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
“Our only law enforcement customer was looking for more product from
us,” he says. “In addition to the 5.11 Tactical Pants, the Academy
needed other specific products and asked us if we would be interested
in producing them. They wanted tactical vests and a tactical shirt to
go with the pants,” he says. Costa took good care of his client,
facilitated the Academy’s needs and found a new niche market along the
way.
“There was really a need for our products within the
industry as a whole. We knew we were in the right place at the right
time,” he notes. “Our tactical clothing line became very, very
successful, very fast. And that’s when we developed our process for
creating products,” Costa says. “First, we ask the customer what they
need and what they want the product to do. Then we design it in
accordance with their feedback, find the right sourcing so we can offer
high quality at a great price, and then deliver, market, merchandise
and sell the product.”
This philosophy of delivering the best
products at the best prices worked so well for this one law enforcement
customer, Costa knew it would be effective across the industry at
large. “We got so excited about selling to law enforcement that we
decided to focus on just law enforcement products,” Costa says.
In
2003, he sold Royal Robbins and founded 5.11 Inc. The company mission
statement expresses what Costa’s 5.11 does so well: “At 5.11 Tactical,
we create products that exceed the needs of our customers with
functional innovation while delivering exceptional value.’”
According
to Costa, 5.11 Tactical has blossomed through a combination of business
efficiency and listening closely to the law enforcement community. “We
basically make every kind of apparel people wear in public safety. And
even today, we don’t make anything unless people in the public safety
arena tell us they want it.” In fact, he says, “100 percent of our
products are the result of consultation with end-users.”
Direct
communication between public safety personnel and 5.11 begins at the
company’s quarterly development meetings. At various locations
throughout the world, groups of roughly 25 officers, operators and/or
first-responders meet with 5.11 team members to discuss product
improvement and future development. In addition, Costa says, “We take
end-users right to our factories. We’ve flown dozens of people across
the world to offer direct input about our designs.”
By
delivering exactly what buyers want, 5.11 has quickly mushroomed into a
multi-million-dollar company that not only manufactures the original
tactical pant, but also produces other in-demand tactical apparel, law
enforcement uniforms, footwear, undergear™, gloves, tactical watches,
fire-resistant clothing and more. “We apply the same proven success
formula to every product we make,” Costa says, noting that each product
category is performing very well.
In an interesting survey
conducted among law enforcement end-users, the question was asked, “Do
you purchase 5.11 Tactical clothing because you have to or because you
want to?” “Results showed that more than 80 percent of respondents buy
5.11 because they want to,” Costa notes. “That’s significant.”
In
commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the 5.11 Tactical Pant, 5.11
has released three limited-edition, cotton-only colors for 2007:
coyote, tundra and sage – for a total of 11 color choices. “One of the
most exciting things about the 30th Anniversary of the tactical pant is
the new retro colors,” Costa says. “Coyote, tundra and sage take us
back to our roots. These were the colors you could buy 30 years ago
when all of this began. They’re very popular for outdoor wear. The new
pants look very sharp and our end-users love ’em.”
Currently,
5.11 Tactical is hosting a year-long sweepstakes to celebrate the
pants’ 30-year milestone. Every week in 2007, a new winner can receive
$511 worth of 5.11 Tactical gear and a chance to win a six-day
California vacation for two, which includes a tour of the 5.11 Tactical
world headquarters.
Original 5.11 Tactical Pants have
consistently stood the test of time in numerous life-and-death
situations worldwide. No other company has succeeded in delivering
5.11’s level of exceptional quality, fit and innovation at such
affordable prices. To learn more, and register for the sweepstakes,
please visit www.511tactical.com.
About 5.11 Tactical Series®
Located
in Modesto, California, 5.11 Tactical Series creates innovative,
user-required products that enhance the safety, speed and performance
of law enforcement, military and fire/EMS professionals. Built on a
foundation of durability, quality and value, 5.11 Tactical’s team of
more than 200 employees leads the industry in delivering functionally
innovative gear, head to toe. The company was ranked #211 on the 2007
Inc. 500 list. Learn more about 5.11’s best-selling tactical clothing,
station wear, uniforms, outerwear, footwear and accessories at
www.511tactical.com.
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© HHWS for 5.11
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