As seen in The Hereford Brand Thursday, September 15, 1994
<< Back

With little more than a lot of grit and guts in marketing, H & R Manufacturing expanded a garage stitching room into a family factory that is now shipping garments across the nation and to many foreign countries... the turning point for the Blacks came in 1969 when Ruth Black used some scrap material left over from the stadium bags to make some vests for her two sons to wear to school and to FFA activities. As it turned out, the boys became walking showcases for a new line of garment--every kid in the showrings wanted one of the vests. The vests were seen at regional stock shows, then Herschel took samples and hit the road in the spring of 1969. He traveled from school to school, showing his wife's hand-stiched vests, with the selling point that they could be custom made for school colors, emblems and mascot drawings. The vests became the hit of the 1970's. By the mid-1970's, anyone who was anyone in Southwest livestock youth shows, wore a Hereford-made vest.

In 1978, the company moved to its present location at 210 Ross St. in Hereford, TX. The 8,000 square foot facility, now managed by Carey Black, houses sewing, cutting, silk-screening and computer embroidery equipment in an operation that produces a wide variety of caps, jackets and other garments.

Today, H & R ships merchandise, mostly embroidered jackets and caps, to 48 states, Mexico and some other foreign countries. The growing business, which employs 12 to 14 people currently, will produce more than 15,000 personalized jackets, caps and T-shirts this year for a clientele that includes schools, farm and ranch organizations, clubs and the cattle feeding industry.

Mayor Bob Josserand has proclaimed today, Thursday Sept. 15, as "Herschel and Ruth Black Day" in Hereford. H & R was presented an Industry award plaque at the Chamber Fun Breakfast this morning.