Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
On an occasional trek home, I pass the Salt Lake Costume Co. there on 11th East and 17th South. Recently, I got to thinking that October must be the companyís busiest time and if so, what happens the rest of the year and how has the company managed to stay successful?
My curiosity led me to contact the companyís owner and president Thad Hansen, and after a pleasurable visit, I learned thereís a lot more to the Salt Lake Costume Co.
The company has been in business since 1889 and originated from a need to supply costumes for local stage productions.
Thad, who is originally from Arizona, came to Utah to study political science and business administration at BYU. While there, he worked as the purchasing agent for the universityís costume shop. Aside from his education and purchasing skills, Thad had always had an eye for color and a talent for clothing design. In the early ë90s, Thad learned the Salt Lake Costume Co. was for sale. He went to work there for a year to learn the business and later bought the company in 1993.
Today, he is the owner and designer, having directed the company to create pieces for many productions, including Salt Lake Community Collegeís 1776 and movies like The Stand, Dumb and Dumber and the TV series Touched By An Angel. In fact, the Salt Lake Costume Co. has manufactured costumes for clients around the country. Last year, for example, it produced Santa suits for the theme park Dollywood in Tennessee.
In Utah and probably the Intermountain area for that matter, it has the largest rental stock with more than 20,000 costume pieces ranging in style from medieval to modern. The company has five full-time seamstresses and clerks for sales and rentals. And while October is certainly a busy time for its retail business, the Salt Lake Costume Co. keeps a serious pace supplying the costume needs of local and national productions.
For Zions Bank, Iím Fred Ball. Iím speaking on business.
