Canadian headwear and accessories maker Crown Cap is focusing on international growth while maintaining its commitment to domestic manufacturing, according to Vice-President Cole Leinburd.
“We’re based in Winnipeg,” said Leinburd in an interview. “About 40 to 45 per cent of our hat styles are made here in Winnipeg at our factory and head office.”
Founded in 1934, Crown Cap originally specialized in agricultural hats for farm and ranch workers on the Prairies. Leinburd said the company has since evolved to offer a wide range of styles and materials, including fur, shearling, leather, and fashion-oriented designs.
“We manufacture fall/winter hats, spring/summer hats, gloves, scarves, earmuffs, headbands, and quilted freezer jackets,” he said. “Those are proudly made in Winnipeg.”
Leinburd added that the company remains Canadian-owned and operated, with ownership passing to his father, Paul Leinburd, in 1987.
Crown Cap products are sold across Canada, the United States, Europe, and Japan. The company works with department stores, independent retailers, and e-commerce platforms, including its own website. It also manufactures private-label items for global brands and supplies products to police forces, military units and government agencies across Canada.
“Canada is still our number one market,” said Leinburd. “We’re in every province and every territory. Primarily the Prairies and Ontario, but Quebec is also a huge province for us.”
Leinburd said customer preferences vary by region, with lighter-weight hats more popular in British Columbia and specific cold-weather styles preferred in the Maritimes and Prairies.
While the company has considered opening a storefront, no concrete plans are in place.
“For now we’re focusing on our wholesale partners,” he said.
According to Leinburd, trends in headwear shift year by year, but some staples remain strong performers.
“We’ve noticed for the past few years, the bucket hats are very popular,” he said. “But the baseball hat is always the most popular. Everybody can wear it—men, women—it looks good on everybody.”
Crown Cap’s transition from male-focused designs to unisex styles has also expanded its customer base.
“A lot of our hat styles are unisex,” said Leinburd. “We’ve added different colours or fabrics to make styles more feminine.”
International markets, especially in Asia and Europe, are becoming an increasing focus.
“We’ve noticed there’s a demand,” said Leinburd. “People like Canadian-made products.”
Despite the company’s global growth, Crown Cap remains rooted in its Winnipeg origins.
“We’re very proud to continue to offer made-in-Canada products,” Leinburd said. “We’ve noticed an increase in demand since the pandemic to support local.”
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