Awards

• JUNE 2007 - BeauChapeau Hat Shop® - wins Niagara Business Link 40 UNDER 40 Award.
  
• JANUARY 2003 - BeauChapeau Hat Shop® - Kevin Neufeld wins Young Entrepreneur Award.
  

Community Involevment

• JUNE 2007 - BeauChapeau Hat Shop® - Sponsors Niagara-On-the-Lake minor Soccer
  
• JANUARY 2003 - BeauChapeau Hat Shop® sponsors Kevin Neufeld to spend 18 days in Thailand to do relief work for victims of the Tsunami in South Asia
  

Press

• Hats are perfect gifts for the rural person - Niagara' Farmer's Monthly
  by Marybeth Fitts, 11/05

  Where would go around here to buy a fedora? How about an Australian Outback hat or a silk top hat?

  BeauChapeau Hat Shop® in Niagara-on-the-Lake offers an extensive range of hats for every style and taste. Owner Kevin Neufeld says that the inspiration for a hat store started in 1997 when the nostalgic PT Cruiser had just been introduced and cigars were making a big comeback. He and his wife, Jana, were brainstorming about other 'retro' items which could be revisited when they hit on the idea of hats.

  About a month later the Neufelds had opened a tiny store on a side street in down town Niagara-on-the-Lake stocked with a few specialty hats. Sales took off and it didn't take long for the need to expand into a larger storefront and to move onto the main street.

  Today the inventory of BeauChapeau is extensive. The store features unique, often one-of-a-kind hats for both men and women. There are winter and summer hats, functional and fun hats, stylish and whimsical hats. "People don't always know where to find a hat," Neufeld explains. He says that summer hats are kept in stock throughout the year for people looking for cruise wear, vacation wear or gifts. "This is a really fun industry. People like to come in and try on hats and play with them."

  Neufeld says that there isn't a large trade show in North America for hat suppliers, so they have had to source their products themselves, searching on the internet and visiting manufacturers individually.

  But hats are not just fashionable, they can also offer specific protection from the elements. Neufeld says that there is no doubt that farmers are often more prone to skin cancer, due to their time spent in the sun. He says that baseball style caps do not cover sufficiently to protect the neck, face and ears from sun exposure; he suggests a lightweight, wide-brim hat like the hemp fibre hats he currently carries. The hemp hats have a wide brim, but are made to be cool in the summer. He explains that you can even dunk them in water and then wear them wet on hot days to keep your head cool.

  Neufeld says that a number of the hats they sell are made of fabrics which are UVA and UVB protective. As for baseball caps, even though Neufeld promised his wife there would never be any in the store, this fall they have actually decided to introduce a line of vintage NHL® hockey hats and other nostalgic logo caps.

  The company is owned soley by Kevin and Jana Neufeld. Jana does all the buying while Kevin does research and development, marketing and manages the staff. In the near future, Neufeld says there are plans in the works to expand the store's space again, but the company does plan to say put in Niagara.(that planned expansion took place in March 2006) BeauChapeau is located at 42 Queen St in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is open daily from 10am to 6pm. The website is www.beauchapeau.com

• Hats are perfect gifts for the rural person - Niagara Advance
  Heather Crole, 6/2005

  Residents and visitors of Niagara on the Lake can cover up with a stylish hat and raise money for cancer research at the same time next Saturday, during this year's Peach Celebration. Kevin Neufeld, owner of BeauChapeau Hat Shop® on Queen St in the old town, is helping the Canadian Cancer Society by having a sale on hats. For each customer who will donate $1 to the Canadian Cancer Society, he will give an additional $2.50.

  Neufeld says wearing a hat covers people up from the sun, and most of the hats he sells protect against UVA and UVB rays, which can cause skin cancer, the effects of which he sees often - he has had many customers in his store which have had melanoma and have learned the hard way how to protect themselves from sun exposure.

  Neufeld says his store offers discounts to people who need hats for medical reasons, such as protection against the sun because of skin cancer. Caroline McCormick, president of the NOTL branch of the Canadian Cancer Society says she is grateful for the help from BeauChapeau.

  Sunlight contains ultraviolet rays that can hurt skin and eyes and in Canada, the sun is strong enough to cause premature aging and cancer of the skin, McCormick says. "Sun damage is cumulative and irreversible, so the sooner you protect yourself the better."

  Recent studies have shown that more than 50 per cent of cancers can be prevented by healthy lifestyle choices, such as not smoking, eating well, being active, avoiding environmental contaminants, getting regular screening, and protecting yourself from the sun," she said.

  "Although the incidence of many cancers is stabilizing or declining, melanoma rates have been increasing. Since 1988 there has been a 41 per cent increase in the death rate for melanoma in men, although it is estimated that 90 per cent of skin cancer could be prevented," McCormick says.

  "People need to cover up, but they want to enjoy their health and benefits of the sun," she says.

  "Go out, enjoy the beautiful sunshine, go golfing, sailing, swimming, or gardening, but take measures to protect yourself from the sun's UV rays by wearing sunscreen and protective clothing - especially a hat," McCormick says.

  "We want to promote sun sensitive awareness and educate people to have healthy lifestyles," Neufeld adds.

  "With help, people can understand more each year and become more aware," said McCormick.

  Neufeld says he wants to support the mission of the Canadian Cancer Society, and decided the Peach Celebration is a good start.

  "This (joint venture) is a first for BeauChapeau and it just seems to be a natural fit," Neufeld says.

• Asian Newspaper - 6/2002
  
  (We're not sure what it says - but we hope its good !)