In 2013, Kanye West was photographed wearing an Alpha Industries MA-1 Bomber jacket promoting his Yeezy Tour. Now, with a clear vision and smart planning, I have set in place a newly minted senior management team capable and passionate to drive this brand and Its future.Ī low point in my journey was recognizing a critical opportunity that I let go by. I had 10 years of poor vision, multiple versions of strategies, and a bit of a revolving door at the top. MC: The highest point in my time as CEO of this company came recently when I finally felt truly secure in the vision, strategy, and management team I had assembled. What is your proudest and darkest moment so far? The main changes following the onset of the pandemic and lockdowns were tactical we accelerated the ecommerce growth strategies and shifted to 100% virtual communication for global brand management. These adjustments set us up nicely to weather the approaching pandemic and retail recession.
By the end of 2019, the company was tight with expenses and inventory, onboarding virtual tools like Zoom and Slack, and investing heavily into digital sales and marketing. MC: In the two years leading up to the pandemic, Alpha fortuitously underwent a restructuring process to fast track our DTC ecommerce operation while making adjustments to improve operational efficiency. How has your business changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? He uprooted his family in Brooklyn, leased factory space in Knoxville, and picked up the orders of the N-3B Cold-weather Parka and USN Shipboard Shirt for the US Navy, all while the ink was still wet on the incorporation papers for Alpha Industries, Inc. My grandfather jumped at the opportunity to establish his own manufacturing company and subcontract the open orders from Dobbs. The story goes the owner of Dobbs was engaging in some shady practices and was ultimately suspended by the Pentagon while in the middle of an open contract. One of his clients was a defense contractor based in Knoxville, TN called Dobbs Industries. MC: My grandfather, Samuel Gelber, was an accountant living in Brooklyn, NY in the 1950s. Mike Cirker: Entrepreneurship is about identifying a problem with a particular product or service, dreaming up a solution, and creating a sound, long term vision that is understandable and achievable. What does “entrepreneurship” mean to you?
Alpha Industries now designs high quality, authentic military-inspired outerwear sold to the private sector. Founded in 1959 by his grandfather as supplier of military textile products to the Department of Defense (DOD), Michael describes Alpha Industries as his roots and heritage. Alpha Industries‘ CEO and third generation leader of the company, Mike Cirker, took the reins of the private, family-owned business in 2011, after the passing of his father.