I have no doubt that Lee Westwood wearing our ‘db’ belts has helped our brand profile tremendously – he's an iconic golfing figure winning tournaments around the world. In addition around 15 top golfers, plus the European Solheim Cup team, have won events on tours internationally wearing Druh and giving us some amazing media coverage. I also took back the retail distribution myself last year and I am proud to say that as a result, we’ve sold three times as many belts. I am passionate about Druh and believe so strongly in the product that I think my enthusiasm has rubbed off on people!
How did your association with Westwood come about?
I’ve known Lee since I was 12 years old when we played amateur golf together, and we’ve developed a strong friendship over many years of playing on tour together. We now hand-make all of his belts. In fact, we have got a Lee Westwood Druh belt in the pipeline for when he wins his first major so hopefully that will be out just after the US Masters!
As a former European Tour golfer, what convinced you to move into belts and buckles?
On Tour I was sponsored by a well known Savile Row tailor, but while their clothing was fantastic, their belts were a bit drab. I found some funkier belts from the US but they were really expensive, so I got some handmade in Asia, where I was playing. The rest is history – Druh now has its own factory in Thailand employing 12 people.
Where are most of your sales made?
Most of our sales are through pro shops and then online. We have recently upgraded the website to make the custom-building of a Druh belt much easier. This has made a huge difference to online orders.
From which retail avenues do you expect to find sales growth in the future?
We are quite well established in pro shops, and now we are developing a prong buckle with subtle ‘db’ branding – combined with our colourful range of belts – to appeal to the fashion market.
Are there any new products we can look forward to from Druh in 2012?
Yes. 2012 promises to be very exciting as we will be launching the Druh clothing range. Initially we will introduce just three styles of golf shirts, which as you can imagine from our belts, will be a bit more colourful, stylish and fashionable than most golfing attire!
You mentioned the Solheim Cup. What are your reflections from that week at Killeen Castle?
It was such a great week, and of course it was amazing how Europe turned things around on the last day, dug deep and won! The girls were all very complimentary about the team belts that were specially designed for both the US and European teams. In fact, a lot of them liked them so much they have continued to wear them. So far I’ve seen Paula Creamer, Christina Kim and Sophie Gustafson in their team belts since Ireland.
Will you be exhibiting at the PGA Show in Orlando this year?
Yes, Druh will be there for the third year running. It’s the biggest golf show in the world so it’s vital to have a presence there if you want to extend the right distribution for your brand. Orlando will be an excellent launch pad for the Druh clothing range, and as we are trying to develop the US and Japanese markets, the PGA Show is perfect.
