Product diversification is enabling Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont to tighten its hold on a niche market.

By Matt Griffin and Catalog Success

Launched in November of 1992, Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont consisted of little more than a small room off of a bedroom in their home in Middlebury, Vt. Initially outsourcing nearly every function of the business, including the manufacture of the ties, Kenerson and Venman took it upon themselves to provide the fabric choices for the fledgling catalog. Research uncovered the Neckwear Association of America, which provided the names of several fabric suppliers. Armed with these names, the couple sought suppliers in New York’s garment district.