THUNDER BAY -- A local hat has gone nationwide and beyond.
John Vanderwees, president of Vanderwees Home and Garden, came up with the idea for the Multikap four years ago. The hat resembles a baseball cap with a larger brim with snap-on sun protection at the back and insect netting at the front.
While there are hats for sun and insects, Vanderwees said there was nothing on the market that was lightweight, washable and versatile.
"We tried to develop something with a bit more style that somebody would be OK Walking down the street with," he said.
"It has a lot of different applications."
Local Canadian Tire stores started selling the hats and saw so much success, the chain will now sell them at stores across the country, all due to a push by the local retailers. Now Mutlikap has the potential to see around 250 sold every year in each Canadian Tire store.
"We've got a really big thank you to the local stores here," Vanderwees said.
Vanderwees is also looking to expand into Miami and Houston to help stop the spread of the Zika virus. He's also already selling them in Peru.
"Anywhere where theres' a lot of sun and insects," Vanderwees said. "A lot of our hemisphere certainly has those elements."
The hat is manufactured in China, with production overseen there by Vanderwees' brother-in-law.
