Red Kap Signs with Social Distortion Frontman Mike Ness

Red Kap has named Billboard-charting recording artist and Social Distortion front man Mike Ness as a brand ambassador. Red Kap will feature Ness in upcoming advertising and marketing programs in addition to future product collaboration.

“Ness’ prolific career has spanned decades, establishing him as an American punk rock legend. His passion for car culture, clothing and all things vintage Americana make him an ideal fit for the Red Kap brand and where we are headed. We are excited to work with Mike Ness, and we know this will be a great partnership. – Chris Holcombe, Vice President and General Manager of Distributor Brands, Red Kap

The band’s storied history includes seven studio albums, countless sold-out world tours and an unrelenting determination to create something genuine and authentic.

“Everyone familiar with me knows I’m no stranger to workwear, on or off the stage. I work hard and I play hard, so joining Red Kap as they take this step forward feels like a natural partnership. I’m looking forward to being a part of an American original that’s been doing business for over 90 years.” – Mike Ness, Social Distortion

Red Kap Signs Off-Road Driver BJ Baldwin

Red Kap has signed with off-road racing champion “Ballistic” BJ Baldwin. Baldwin will debut the Red Kap logo on his race truck Fedor at the General Tire Mint 400 race, and he and the Baldwin Motorsports crew will be outfitted with select Red Kap apparel for the 2014 race season. In an effort to remain the leader of automotive apparel, Red Kap is gearing up for an intriguing brand launch in 2014 and 2015.

“BJ Baldwin is a passionate, talented off-road racer with a driven spirit to perform. His ambitious character and unique style makes him a natural fit to represent the Red Kap brand. As we continue to focus on the development of performance features specifically for the automotive industry, we are excited to have Baldwin Motorsports put our products to the test in the world of off-road racing.” – Chris Holcombe, Vice President and General Manager of Distributor Brands, Red Kap

Baldwin’s impressive racing record has earned him two consecutive Baja 1000 wins, SCORE championships (2013, 2012, 2009), BITD championship and King of the Desert title, Mint 400 win, as well as, 1st place finishes in SCORE Baja 500, San Felipe 250, BITD Silver State 300, Parker 425 and Bluewater Desert Challenge.

“This year is going to be a great race season for Baldwin Motorsports. I have been training all year preparing for this season and my team is excited to add Red Kap to our team.”
– BJ Baldwin, Off-Road racing champion

Red Kap & West Coast Customs

Red Kap has been named exclusive workwear apparel for global car customizing giant, West Coast Customs.

“We spend about 80% of our life in workwear, so it’s important that we have the best quality and style for the shop. Red Kap manufactures work apparel specific to the automotive market and they understand my business needs. That’s why they are the exclusive work apparel line of West Coast Customs,” said Ryan Friedlinghaus, founder and CEO of West Coast Customs.

Chris Holcombe, VP & GM for Red Kap was thrilled when the guys from WCC came to us for help with their on-air apparel. “We’re always on the lookout for partners that embody the Done Right spirit…Ryan and his crew are passionate about what they do, just like us.”

The guys will wear the fastest-growing product in our 90-year history, the Crew Shirt, in addition to Red Kap pants, shorts, jackets and belts. You can see the team in action on their show, West Coast Customs, starting Sunday, June 9th on Fox Sports.

For more information, read the full press release here.

Our NASCAR Debut

This past Saturday, under the lights of the Richmond International Raceway, we made our NASCAR debut on the No. 31 car, driven by Jeff Burton. The entire crew at Richard Childress Racing already wears Red Kap every day off the track – but seeing our logo emblazoned on an actual car was pretty darn cool.

Red Kap congratulates Jeff Burton on his fifth-place finish, and the first-place finish of his RCR teammate Kevin Harvick.

NEW – Women’s Straight Fit Jean

Finding a pair of durable, yet flattering, jeans for the job shouldn’t be work in and of itself. That’s why we’re excited to announce the newest addition to our lineup of Women’s products – the Straight Fit Jean (PD63).

Featuring an updated fit, this pair of jeans offers a more feminine silhouette – because she may work as hard as the guys, but that doesn’t mean she has to dress like one of them!

The PD63 sits just below the natural waist and has a slimmer, straight thigh and leg opening that will fit over boots. Available in a dark indigo wash, this flattering jean might just be the answer to her denim blues.

Workwear Spotlight: Enhanced Visibility Products

Government regulations are strict when it comes to safety apparel worn by those who are routinely exposed to the hazards of low visibility while on the job. The ANSI 107 Standard outlines the specific apparel requirements for these types of occupations.

For lower-risk work conditions where true “hi-vis” garments are not legally required, many choose enhanced-visibility workwear, which uses either bright fabrics or reflective striping to add an extra element of safety to the job site or workplace.

Our recently expanded enhanced-visibility product lineup includes t-shirts, long and short sleeve work shirts (available with and without reflective trim), pants, coveralls and jackets. If our stock offering doesn’t include what you’re looking for, you can customize any Red Kap garment with reflective striping to suits your needs.

For complete product and regulatory details, check out our Visibility Apparel Guide.

Love is in the Air

Ah, Valentine’s Day – the perfect time to show some love to our fans. We’ve got 10 t-shirt swag bags up for grabs – but in order to have a chance at one, you need to show some love, too! Simply tell us what your job is and why you love it (okay, we’ll settle for like it). On February 18, we’ll select 10 random respondents as the winners.

 

Red Kap Partners with Richard Childress Racing

It’s only natural to gravitate to people who are wired the same way you are. So partnering with the hardworking crews of Richard Childress Racing was an easy choice for Red Kap Automotive. RCR employs more than 500 of the industry’s best, brightest and most dedicated talent. And when these athletes of the auto world roll up their sleeves to do their thing, you can bet those sleeves are genuine Red Kap performance workwear. See them in action.

Read the full press release.

New Color for the Crew

The Crew Shirt was the most successful new product launch in Red Kap’s history. Now, in response to customer demand, we’re adding a fifth color option to the lineup: Navy/Light Grey. Navy is a classic color – both in the automotive world and other industries – so we feel certain it’ll quickly become a popular choice. In fact, Hyundai has already picked it up for the uniform program for their Car Care Express facilities.

Playing Hooky: Good Guys Nashville

Question: What do you do when it’s Friday afternoon, sunny and 80 degrees, and there’s a car show in town?

Answer: Play hooky, of course!

 

The Good Guys show cruised through Nashville, TN – home to Red Kap – last weekend and we couldn’t help but call it quits early to check it out. With over 1700 of the coolest and wildest pre-1972 hot rods and street machines of all makes and models, the show didn’t disappoint.

 

After a quick walk through the main show area, we stopped by Greening Automotive to see their Ridler-award winning ’55 T-Bird up close. Having made our first visit to their shop when it was on the rotisserie, it was a pleasure to see the final product in all her glory.

Next we stopped to see our friend Tim Strange, host of Powerblock® TV’s Search & Restore. He’d brought along the show’s most recent build – this ’55 Chevy Handyman. With a red and white paint job, we think it would make an excellent “Kap-mobile.” Now if only we can convince the boss…

With the “hard work” done, we had time to catch some participants putting their rides to the ultimate performance test in the AutoCross.

Why can’t every work week end like this?