Hamburger Woolen Company, Inc.: UniformMarketNews.com

In seven months, Hamburger will celebrate its 70^th anniversary.  There are over 600 Internet sites that refer to it.  Multiple articles have been written, and numerous websites mention its capacity, capabilities, and far-reaching influence in the garment industry—not only in the United States, but throughout the world.   Not bad when one stops to think about these precarious economic times!  Not only is it still in business, but with the strength and determination of its owners and loyal co-workers, Hamburger remains a revered name.  “We’re a wonderful company.”  Ilene Hamburger Rosen says confidently.  “We advocate for each and every one of our buyers, and we bend over backward for them.” 

In addition to its primary focus, which is fabric distribution, Hamburger also maintains its division of police equipment—HWC Police Equipment Company—which has been in existence for 30+ years.  Between the two areas, a strong and healthy future is the clear forecast.

Ilene is the president of the family-owned firm.  “These are not the best of times, but they’re not the worst of times.   You can’t look back,” she insists pragmatically.  “Sure, I liked it better when it was easy and fun.  But now, everything has changed.  You just go forward and do your best.”

Irving Hamburger founded the company January 1, 1940.   Originally, he worked for the American Woolen Company; there were no synthetics or polyesters in those days.  Uniforms were made of 100% wool.   He saw that while large manufacturers could purchase hundreds to thousands of yards, there was no way that the little guy could manage to either afford or warehouse the huge quantities that were mandated by such mills as American Woolen, J.P. Stevens, and many others. Astutely, Irving decided to become a distributor of these goods, by buying up large 600-800 yard pieces.  He warehoused them himself, cut them up, and re-sold them to smaller manufacturers on an “on demand” basis.  “We bought, sold, cut, and shipped,” says Ilene.  “Our fast 24 hour delivery service is what really got us going.  We earned a reputation for prompt shipping and superb customer service, continuing that same practice for both divisions, today.”

Irving initially had two backers, then bought them out as the company quickly took off.  It became a family affair, with cousins, brothers-in-law, brothers, and eventually his sons.  “He supported everyone,” marvels Ilene. 

“In fact,” she continues in her matter-of-fact New Yorkese, “the reason that the police division was created is because Uncle Stewart was always fighting with Uncle Nat; so to give Uncle Stewart something to do and keep the two of them separate, Dad started the police equipment business.  Who could imagine that Uncle Stewart’s one-page hand-out would become our 90-page catalogue and that we are now warehousing over 1900 items for wholesale distribution?”

Lloyd Hamburger, Irving’s eldest son, was always groomed to go into the business.  When Irving passed away unexpectedly, Lloyd came home immediately after completing his military service in the early ‘50’s, and took his place as president of the company, where he remained until 2004.   What Irving founded, Lloyd capitalized upon, and the business mushroomed.  Polyesters were in existence by then—by themselves and blended with woolens.  Hamburger Woolen Company catered to schools, the airline business, hotels, restaurants, casinos, and bands—wherever uniform manufacturers had a use or a need; it still does. 

Hamburger sold to everyone, and it became a well known name in the uniform industry, which at that time was located in New York—the hub of world apparel manufacturing.  “When I got married, the entire garment industry came to my wedding, because they were all right here,” reminisces Ilene.  “My parents’ social friends were also their business colleagues.

Married with two grown children, and a husband who is a physician, Ilene Rosen is one smart cookie.  She is a graduate of Tulane University, both in the liberal arts, and with a law degree.   She keeps her law license current, and can practice in New York, should she choose to.  “I did it for a while,” Ilene moans, “but I hated it.  I just hated it.”

When she and her two younger sisters were growing up, Lloyd would take his three daughters on a ritual outing every Saturday morning: Breakfast at the Dairy Famous Restaurant, and a day at the office.   They loved it.  As the sisters grew and went their separate ways, however, the memories stuck with Ilene.  After her experience in the legal world, and some work in the insurance industry, Ilene joined her father when Lloyd needed help at the office; the timing was perfect. 

As they expanded over the years, the firm moved from one building to the next, with their most recent quarters in a 15,000 square foot one-story building on Long Island.   “Our staff has been with us for at least 20 years, we’re settled, and we’re staying right here,” Ilene mentions. 

 “We have kept going through some rough times,” she says.  More currently, Hamburger has also gone into theme parks, and medical uniforms with its fabrics.  It sells specialty fabrications with highly specialized treatments and coatings, and virtually anything that a customer requests as long as it is in solids rather than prints.  “We also do stretch fabrics and organics,” Ilene adds.

“We are not a mill; we are a distributor, and that’s an important difference—and we are extremely competitive as a distributor.  We are strictly wholesale, and we work with dealers, distributors, and manufacturers.”  Hamburger’s longtime commitment to the North-American Association of Uniform Manufacturers & Distributors (NAUMD) is well known.

Asked about being a woman-owned business, Ilene is frank.  “I have never had a problem being a woman in business; however, the process of becoming certified as woman-owned business is a lot of work for little or no reward.  When this issue came up, I decided to become president of the firm, although Lloyd was older.  But it’s just a title.  What difference does it make?  I never found it a problem to be Lloyd’s daughter.  If people can say the kinds of things about me that they say about him, then I am very lucky.”