The story of the last three decades at Greeley Hat Works didn't begin with a grand opening; it began with an apprenticeship.
In the early 90s, Trent Johnson was a ranch hand on the Orr Ranch. Between chores, he
worked as an apprentice in the hat shop, located on the ranch, in the barn, under the skilled eye of Susie Orr. It was there that Trent learned the alchemy of steam and felt, but more importantly, he learned Susie’s most vital lesson: that providing the ultimate customer service is the priority. The hat is the result, but the person is the focus.
By the time Trent officially purchased the business 30 years ago, the shop had moved from the barn to a small storefront in downtown Greeley. At that time, production was a boutique effort, turning out roughly sixty hats a year.
Today, our team in Greeley produces more than that in a single week.
As we kick off 2026, we are officially beginning a year-long celebration of Trent’s 30-year tenure as the steward of Greeley Hat Works. It’s a milestone that marks a radical evolution in scale, but a stubborn refusal to change our soul. We haven't traded our heritage for high-tech machinery; instead, we’ve scaled our operation while using the same tools and hand-made processes that hat makers have relied on for over a century.
Throughout this year, we’ll be opening the archives to share the stories that defined these three decades. We’ll be looking at the icons that built us from "Martin," our 1958 pickup, to the antique conformateur that still ensures the perfect fit for every custom hat today. We’ll even dive into the symbolism of the beaver, a mark so permanent to Trent it’s etched in ink.
For Trent, the hat is secondary to the handshake. His philosophy is built on the idea that you can find a hat anywhere, but you can only get a Greeley experience here. It’s about the time spent with the conformateur, the stories shared over the steam, and the commitment to a perfect fit. When you get the experience right, the hat becomes a legacy. We call it HATisfaction®, and it’s a standard we’ve carried from that barn to the global stage.
The first thirty years were just the beginning. We’re still handmade, still here, and still just getting started. Thanks for being a part of our story.
