Well, another U.S. small business with over 100 years of history closed its doors forever. I learned about J.W. Hulme, a leather goods shop founded in 1905 in St. Paul, Minnesota, through Matt Hanrek, the founder of WM Brown Magazine, during his epic train trip on the Royal Scotsman. You can read about it here via GQ and The Rake or through Matt’s magazine, The WM Brown Project. He gifted tote bags to his band of misfits who joined him for what looked like a hell of a time. The tote bags looked great, and they fell within my comfort zone of $80-$90. I was #influenced and bought one.
Recently, I posted an Instagram story with my feet squished against a plane seat and my tote bag underneath. Someone asked about the brand of the tote bag, and I responded with J.W. Hulme. I then decided to see what they were up to. Unfortunately, I quickly found out they had shut down out of the blue. I wasn’t the only one caught off guard by J.W. Hulme’s sudden closure.
Maraya King, for Pioneer Press, wrote that Chuck Bidwell, a minority owner in J.W. Hulme, was "surprised to see that they were totally closing down." King also reported that J.W. Hulme changed ownership a few times since 2009, first to a private equity firm and then to a company that runs ShopHQ, a home shopping network. I'm not sure if that gave J.W. Hulme the best shot for long-term success, but I'm on the outside looking in. Again, I'm just bummed to see a heritage company go under seemingly overnight.
Despite the unexpected closure, I must tip my hat to the folks at J.W. Hulme. I genuinely enjoy and use their tote bag almost every day. The stitching around the logo is a little frayed, and it has collected dirt, dust, food, booze, etc., but structurally, the tote bag is a damn tank. It's a tangible piece of the legacy they leave behind, and I'm grateful to have been part of their journey.
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