WKU News

“Create lasting goods and meaningful relationships.” That is what Clayton & Crume is all about. Although the six words came from a training a few years ago, WKU alumni Tyler Jury (‘12) and Clay Simpson (‘12) felt that way from the beginning.

Imagine this: A college student, with limited money available to buy new clothes, goes home to visit his family. He comes across a sewing machine and asks his mom to teach him how to make pants and shorts. The act of learning how to sew feeds into his creative thinking and develops a new skillset. Not long after, seeing a need, the student takes a leash, sews it onto a leather canvas, transforming it into a unique belt to wear while tailgating, catches the attention of his fraternity brothers and proceeds to make products while still a student in college.

While stories like this may seem make-believe, this is the true story of Clayton & Crume, a story where Clay Simpson began making leather goods in his residence hall. Then, after college, while hanging out together, Jury remembered some gifts that Simpson made for his now wife while in college. He asked Jury if he still made similar goods. From that, the two began to brainstorm opportunities to work together.

Jury explained, “It led into a conversation of making some gifts, prototyping some key fobs and eventually going to our fraternity’s [Phi Gamma Delta] headquarters and pitching them on the idea of a high-quality leather keychain to gift at one of their conferences.”

Licensing their products for sale with national organizations, such as a fraternity, had its drawbacks. It meant that Clayton & Crume only received a percentage of the market. While this proved to be a great start for the pair, they made a “bold move” according to Jury, to leave their number one product, a belt licensed with the fraternity, to build their demand. 

“We wanted to be an established brand that makes high-quality heirloom-type leather goods for decades and decades to come - the type of stuff that you pass on from generation to generation,” Jury said. “So, we made a bold decision to eliminate our number one seller in hopes that we were building something more sustainable for the long term.” And they did.

“If you look at our business, the market that we are in, the product lineup that we have, it has been an evolution,” Jury said. Clayton & Crume produces full-grain leather goods, with stores in Louisville, Kentucky, and Charleston, South Carolina. Their best sellers include belts, duffle bags, wallets, coasters, flasks, glasses and phone cases - all made with leather sourced from tanneries in the USA, Italy and Mexico - with prices ranging from $40 - $1,400.

For these two WKU alums, success has come with challenges that can be written in books. Yet through challenges, they see innovation and growth. One challenge specifically emphasized their value of meaningful relationships.

“We have always had this idea that when we’re fighting, business is the healthiest it is going to be,” Simpson started and went on to explain. “If there are times when we don’t agree, we have to duke it out and come to a conclusion of what is best for the business.” This thought can be summarized to mean that challenging each other’s thoughts brings innovative ideas. And, in 2020, after discussion and debate, they faced a new need for an innovative idea.

“One of the toughest moments in our career was the Friday after COVID hit, having to lay off most of our team. We went home and we were losing sleep,” Jury started. “But Clay and I talked that weekend. We had an empty shop and a lot of machinery. We had seen people across the country that were stitching together facemasks. So, Clay and I sourced some materials, got together and ended up prototyping out in our shop. That day alone was like a throwback to the dorm room or his bedroom in his parent's house.”

In their 6,000-square-foot shop, by themselves, Jury and Simpson made a face shield that was shared with some of their team members. It passed on to different people and made its way to the office of Kentucky’s Governor Andy Beshear. Jury said they got a call the next week.

“They needed a half million face shields during the middle of COVID, which allowed us to hire 200 people in the midst of a time when a lot of people were laid off,” Jury said. They worked on a government contract to supply PPE for hospitals throughout the state. That challenging time brought many employees back together and helped set their business up for growth.

Now looking back to the training a few years ago that resulted in the Clayton & Crume team realizing how they emphasize meaningful relationships, it made sense. They work together to address issues with clients. Their team serves in different ways throughout the nearby community (e.g., gardening, cleanups, etc.), and they have now opened a place for customers to gather called the Stitch Speakeasy. Named for Muhammad Ali’s sparring partner Rudell Stitch, this space serves as an event venue and a place for fellowship.

“What we really try to do here is build something sustainable that people can build a life around,” Jury said. They expressed how much it has meant to see the success of their employees - employing people who can afford to take care of their families, take vacations, have healthcare benefits, and even buy their homes in neighborhoods with good schools. “We feel like we are helping people build a life that is sustainable and closer to the American Dream. It is something that is pretty exciting considering it all started with a dog leash at the bookstore at WKU,” Jury said.

“Keeping 50 people employed is huge. We are making decisions for everyone who calls this home and a workplace,” Simpson said.

Just 12 years ago, Jury and Simpson graduated from Western Kentucky University. Young entrepreneurs reading this may wonder how their future business endeavors will evolve. Simpson believes there is an opportunity for everyone who has something they are passionate about.

“If I had to give advice, I’d say figure out what you are passionate about because no man is an island,” Simpson said. “From a business perspective, there is going to be a market for anything you are passionate about. If you can apply your creativity to that, then you are going to find people who want to engage with you as long as you are true to your identity and provide value in the marketplace.”

“Let the consumer feedback drive what you do. It can be easy to chase down a path because you believe in it. It is another thing for people to tell you it is what they want,” Jury expressed. “Take each thing you learn, have an open mind and be willing to change and evolve as you grow.” 

In the future Simpson and Jury plan to open more retail locations and build their team. “We just want to keep doing more of what we have done,” Jury said.

This piece is part of WKU’s Climbing to Greater Heights Alumni Feature Series. To learn more about Clayton & Crume, visit https://claytonandcrume.com/.