FROM BUILDING BRANDS TO BUILDING A MISSION
FOR HOWITZER FOUNDER ERIC FOSS, CLOTHING HAS BEEN A LIFELONG PURSUIT.
ERIC HAS SPENT MUCH OF HIS CAREER DESIGNING, DEVELOPING, AND BUILDING MULTIPLE MAJOR APPAREL BRANDS, WHICH HE STILL OWNS AND OPERATES. HE LEARNED EVERY SIDE OF THE BUSINESS, BUT HIS REAL PASSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN PRODUCTS: TAKING AN IDEA, OBSESSING OVER THE DETAILS, AND SEEING PEOPLE WEAR IT.
EVENTUALLY, ANOTHER PASSION WOULD COLLIDE WITH THAT EXPERIENCE AND LEAD HIM DOWN AN ENTIRELY NEW PATH.
THAT PASSION WAS FIREARMS.
THE BEGINNING OF HOWITZER
AS ERIC BECAME MORE INVOLVED IN THE FIREARMS COMMUNITY, HE SAW
AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD SOMETHING DIFFERENT: A BRAND BUILT AUTHENTICALLY AROUND A COMMUNITY HE LOVED, BACKED BY DECADES OF APPAREL EXPERIENCE.
BUT FROM THE BEGINNING, IT NEEDED A GREATER PURPOSE.
ERIC HAD TREMENDOUS RESPECT FOR THE VETERANS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, AND FIRST RESPONDERS WHO DEDICATE THEIR LIVES TO PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES. HE WANTED HOWITZER TO DO MORE THAN CELEBRATE THEM. HE WANTED IT TO GIVE BACK.
SO GIVING BACK WAS BUILT INTO THE FOUNDATION, WITH 5% OF SALES DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING VETERANS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVES. AS HOWITZER GROWS, SO DOES ITS IMPACT.
ERIC ALSO WANTED HOWITZER TO BE MORE THAN GRAPHICS ON T-SHIRTS. HE SET OUT TO CREATE REAL PRODUCTS, INCLUDING TECHNICAL PANTS, PERFORMANCE TOPS, DENIM, OUTERWEAR, AND EVERYDAY APPAREL, DESIGNED AROUND THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY USE THEM.
BUILD BETTER PRODUCTS. SUPPORT THE PEOPLE WHO SERVE. GIVE BACK ALONG THE WAY.
AN INVITATION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
GETTING CLOSER TO THOSE PEOPLE MEANT GETTING OUT FROM BEHIND THE DESIGN DESK.
HOWITZER PROSTAFF MEMBER AND WORLD-CLASS COMPETITIVE SHOOTER JJ RACAZA INVITED ERIC TO JOIN HIM ON THE SUPER SQUAD AT THE DRAGON'S CUP IN TEXAS.
ERIC ACCEPTED.
AND HE WAS HOOKED.
A PASSION FOR FIREARMS QUICKLY BECAME A PASSION FOR COMPETITIVE SHOOTING: THE PRESSURE, THE PREPARATION, THE CONSTANT PURSUIT OF IMPROVEMENT, AND ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE. COMPETITION ALSO GAVE ERIC SOMETHING INVALUABLE AS A DESIGNER: A LABORATORY.
BUILT ON THE RANGE
TODAY, ERIC TRAINS AND COMPETES ALONGSIDE THE HOWITZER PROSTAFF, AND THOSE RELATIONSHIPS DRIVE THE BRAND'S PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.
OUR PROS DON'T SIMPLY ENDORSE HOWITZER PRODUCTS. THEY USE THEM, COMPETE IN THEM, CHALLENGE THEM, AND TELL ERIC WHAT NEEDS TO BE BETTER.
A POCKET IN THE WRONG PLACE. FABRIC THAT DOESN'T MOVE CORRECTLY. A WAISTBAND THAT GETS UNCOMFORTABLE AFTER HOURS ON THE RANGE. A SHIRT THAT DOESN'T BREATHE UNDER PRESSURE. THOSE DETAILS MATTER.
DESIGN IT. TEST IT. IMPROVE IT. REPEAT.
A BIGGER PURPOSE
BUT AS ERIC BECAME DEEPER INVOLVED IN THE FIREARMS COMMUNITY, SOMETHING ELSE BEGAN TO HAPPEN.
HE SPENT MORE TIME AROUND VETERANS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, FIRST RESPONDERS, AND PEOPLE WHO HAD DEDICATED MUCH OF THEIR LIVES TO SERVING OTHERS. THOSE RELATIONSHIPS CHANGED THE DIRECTION OF HOWITZER. ERIC REALIZED THE COMPANY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AND A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO MORE THAN SELL CLOTHING.
HOWITZER COMMITTED 5% OF SALES TO SUPPORTING VETERANS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVES, TURNING GIVING BACK INTO A FUNDAMENTAL PART OF THE BUSINESS. AND ERIC WANTED THAT SUPPORT TO GO BEYOND SIMPLY WRITING CHECKS.
PROJECT BLUE LION
YEARS OF TRAINING ALONGSIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS REVEALED ANOTHER REALITY: MANY OFFICERS WANTED AND NEEDED MORE FIREARMS TRAINING BUT LACKED ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES AND INSTRUCTION TO GET IT.
HOWITZER HAD RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOME OF THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED SHOOTERS AND INSTRUCTORS IN THE INDUSTRY. ERIC SAW AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THOSE TWO WORLDS TOGETHER.
THAT BECAME PROJECT BLUE LION, HOWITZER'S INITIATIVE PROVIDING PERFORMANCE-BASED FIREARMS TRAINING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AT NO COST TO THEM.
TAKE WHAT YOU HAVE. USE IT TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE.
MORE THAN A CLOTHING COMPANY
TODAY, HOWITZER REPRESENTS THE INTERSECTION OF EVERYTHING THAT HAS SHAPED ERIC'S LIFE.
APPAREL. DESIGN. SHOOTING. COMPETITION. COMMUNITY. SERVICE.
ERIC IS STILL DESIGNING. STILL TESTING. STILL TRAINING. STILL COMPETING ALONGSIDE THE ATHLETES WHO REPRESENT THE BRAND. BECAUSE HOWITZER WAS NEVER MEANT TO SLAP A LOGO ON SOMETHING AND CALL IT PERFORMANCE APPAREL.
IF WE'RE GOING TO BUILD IT, WE'RE GOING TO USE IT. IF WE'RE GOING TO CALL IT PERFORMANCE, WE'RE GOING TO PROVE IT. AND IF WE'RE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BUILD A SUCCESSFUL COMPANY, WE'RE GOING TO USE IT TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK.
THAT'S THE FOUNDATION HOWITZER WAS BUILT ON. AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.
JOIN THE MISSION.