He's a walking encyclopedia of cowboy lore. He known the western industry in general, old western furniture, gun belts, belt buckles, and even cowboy trivia. "I can tell you what Tom Mix's horse's name is - Tony," says Ritch Rand, founder and owner of Rands Hats based in Billings, Montana. And Rand, of course, knows hats - having made a lifetime study of western headgear.

Rand and longtime friend, Bill Reynolds, Chief Executive Officer of the California advertising agency, Banning Company, published The Cowboy Hat Book last fall. The book, three years in the making, is billed as the most complete look ever at the "cowboy crown." In fact, some of Rand's customers called him to say they bought the last copies of the book's first edition at the '95 National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas.

Rand knew his western lore and hear, but had to learn how to build a business when he moved to Billings from Boise, Idaho 25 years ago. He stuck with the basics: good customer relations, 100 percent hand-built hats, and innovative styles.

"I developed a lot of innovative and creative processes in the hat business for movies and TV like distressing of hats" says Rand. Today, Rand Hats has customers all over the United States including Hollywood stars.

"We just finished hats for Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman," Rand says. "It's an ongoing account. We did Amanda, a western shot in Red Lodge, this summer. And we did 250 hats for the movie Far and Away with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman."

Rand's hats are handmade and guaranteed, within reason. "Rands stands behind all of its products. Each hat is made by one individual from start to finish," he says. "We guarantee each hat to be made to individual specifications with a custom fit."

However, he adds, "if the hat falls apart and it's the hat's problem, we'll repair it, replace it or resolve the customer's problem. But if you drink beer out of your hat, we'll still fix the problem, but you will be charged."

Rand's hats were featured in the New York Times last year, on a PBS special, as well as a full-age in Sunset Magazine's 1995 December issue which reaches three million subscribers.
Today Rich Rand's employees produce 4,000 to 5,000 handmade hats a year making the company arguably one of the largest handmade hateries in the United States.

Rand says the old-time hands-on relationships he's built with vendors and customers through the good and bad times keep his business growing. "We're very aggressive. We stick our necks out. We sign on the dotted line. We sit in airplanes and truck cabs a lot and make sure the customer gets what he wants" Rand says.