A little over 10 years ago, Focus highlighted Gina Jacquart Thorsen, CEO of Jacquart Fabric Products (JFP), which owns iconic Stormy Kromer. We decided to catch up with her again to see how the family-owned and intertwined businesses have evolved and continued their notable legacy.
According to Jacquart Thorsen, Stormy Kromer accounts for about 85% of JFP’s business, but they also do B2B contract manufacturing for other companies. Together they have overcome challenging times and obstacles, building brands based on fortitude and resilience. This past year, Stormy Kromer launched their officially licensed collegiate collection (18 Midwest universities, including 11 in Michigan), and had an amazing surprise when Tom Brady wore their University of Michigan cap at the Michigan–Ohio State game. They also partnered with the Detroit Red Wings, launched their second limited-edition cap in partnership with Lake Superior Woolen, and created a commemorative fundraising cap in honor of the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sold out in 2.5 days.
Jacquart Thorsen and her husband also invest in their community. They are proud billet parents for the Ironwood Lumberjacks, their local junior hockey team. “We absolutely love opening up our home to these young men and giving them a home away from home while they pursue their dreams. These days, if I’m not working, I’m probably watching hockey!”
While checking in, we learned about how the businesses have changed over the past 10 years, if they are incorporating AI into their daily practices, and how becoming a CEO has helped Jacquart Thorsen grow as an entrepreneur.
Focus: The last time we caught up with you was 2015. Please share what’s been happening with JFP/Stormy Kromer since then.
Jacquart Thorsen: 2015 feels like a lifetime ago!! Like many entrepreneurs I don’t spend a lot of time looking backward; I always look to what’s next! But when I do look back, I see resilience and grit, and I’m really proud of that. But I’ll also admit something surprising: we’re smaller than we were then – by quite a bit. In 2015 our business was dependent on making dog beds and cat furniture for a single large contract customer we had worked with for 30 years. Soon after 2015, our customer sold their business to a corporation, and our work with them disappeared shortly after. It was gut wrenching and terrifying. This had been a multi-million-dollar partner, and we had to figure out how to keep going and keep people employed in our small UP town in an industry (American sewing manufacturing) that wasn’t exactly booming.
Simultaneously, the Stormy Kromer brand was on the rise. The distribution of revenue across our divisions was starting its journey to what it is today. But that meant a big shift across the board. Sewing machine operators who were making dog beds had to learn to sew hats and coats. Our entire operations ecosystem was designed to support one large customer’s needs and products, and suddenly we realized that system didn’t work for Stormy Kromer or our newer contract sewing customers. But I’m proud to say, through that period, we had no major layoffs. We shifted, learned new skills, and found new partners and opportunities.
Then we rode the roller coaster that was 2020–2025. COVID hit and we made PPE and capitalized on the growth of spending in the outdoor industry. Stormy Kromer grew a lot during those years, which was very exciting. After that boom was an inventory right-sizing in the outdoor industry, giving us another round of challenges. In 2025, we received the most inquiries ever about our U.S. contract sewing capabilities, so we’ve been able to add to our portfolio of contract customers, bringing us even further stability.
Focus: In 2022 you became JFP’s first female CEO. How has this helped you personally grow as an entrepreneur?
Jacquart Thorsen: The transition to taking over was long, intentional, and valuable. I moved home and rejoined the business in 2009, and the vision was always that I would replace my father as CEO. In 2017–18 that became much more intentional. I consider myself fortunate because I don’t have a lot of family business horror stories. My dad and I (and my sister who is also in the business) get along really well. We communicate, support each other, and have shared goals.
During those transition years, my dad and I worked closely together. We were almost co-CEOs for a long time and that time with him was more valuable than any MBA program I could have attended. We made big financial decisions together, we debated about priorities and vision before coming to agreement, and we showed our team that we were in it together.
Focus: Since becoming CEO, what have you changed and/or implemented to ensure continued success?
Jacquart Thorsen: I took over when a big shift was happening from being mainly a contract manufacturer – with Stormy Kromer as a small piece – to the Stormy Kromer brand being the predominant focus for the business. Even though the business was already second-stage when I took over, it was missing a lot of second-stage processes, structure, and clarity. So that was a big area of emphasis for me. While we are still a highly entrepreneurial and nimble culture, that nimbleness is now surrounded by more discernment and focus.
We also needed to invest more in our team. As I was taking over for my father, we were losing employees of his generation to retirement. And I’ll be honest, it’s not easy to find an experienced manager of a cut-and-sew facility in a normal job search. We’ve intently focused on developing the next generation of leadership from within.
Lastly, we had to build marketing and brand muscles, particularly digital strategies connected directly with consumers. I’ve spent a lot of time building our internal team and external partners, helping our brand’s voice and products be seen and heard in a time when so much is vying for consumers’ attention.
Focus: How does Stormy Kromer maintain that wonderful timeless quality?
Jacquart Thorsen: The timelessness is certainly one of the things people love about the brand. Instead of old fashioned, most people find it to be nostalgic, reminding them of their grandfather, their cabin up north, or the first time they went to hunting camp. We never want that to change. We also want our designs to be classic because a cap guaranteed for life is quite the opposite of fast fashion. We really can’t chase trends when we expect you to have your hat for 30-plus years.
We keep a classic look and design, and find ways to update through colors, embellishments, and collaborations. A great example of this is our recent collaborations with the hunting brand First Lite. While hunters represent a key demographic for us, First Lite is a more modern hunting brand appealing to a younger audience. But because we both utilize wool as a key functional element, we can combine our recognizable design with their signature fabrics and have a wonderful new product that brings new consumers to the brand. Our recent collegiate launch is also a similar example of this.
Focus: Have you started incorporating AI into any of your processes, and how has it streamlined your efforts?
Jacquart Thorsen: I’ll admit, we’re definitely at the start of our AI journey. Right now it’s primarily our marketing team using it, and it’s really to take the seeds of our content ideas and flesh them out, break down the execution in manageable pieces, and hand back a guide for our team to execute.
What’s interesting is that it brought up a great conversation about our brand values and how AI fits into them. If we’re a brand that values authenticity and tradition, can we use an AI-generated photo of someone wearing a Stormy Kromer? The answer is obviously no, so we’ve also been focused on adding AI sections to our brand standards and workflows. For us, AI needs to be a tool that is always rooted in real human oversight and execution.
Focus: With your long-term knowledge as a leader on SBAM’s Board of Directors, what are some noteworthy achievements you’ve witnessed?
Jacquart Thorsen: What I most love about our board is how this group of entrepreneurs applies the same principles they would to their business to the vision and direction of SBAM. I see this as a willingness to adapt, pivot, and find opportunities to better serve our members.
A few organizational highlights since my time on the board are: first, our most recent expansion of the scope and responsibilities of the Leadership Council, which allows more business owners direct involvement in shaping the future of small business in our state. Second, the nimbleness with which the organization saw needs that were not being met for members and created solutions quickly. Third, creating the ESTA toolkit and training modules to ensure small business owners could comply with a law that went into effect without much lead time. Fourth, all the supports we helped create during COVID, including the daily briefings that provided a lifeline to business owners in such an uncertain time. And lastly, the creation of the SBAM Foundation, including the Small Business Support Hub grant and Women’s Entrepreneurial Fellowship Program, which filled gaps in training and support for first- and second-stage businesses.
By Bona Van Dis, Editor of Focus; originally published in SBAM’s March/April 2026 issue of FOCUS magazine.
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