Austin cowboy boot maker Tecovas is moving its headquarters, but staying near its roots
Cowboy boot company Tecovas is moving to a new East Austin headquarters as it steps up its national expansion.
Austin-based Tecovas will move to a 30,000-square-foot space at 901 E. Sixth St. in early April, company CEO David Lafitte told the American-Statesman.
The bootmaker grew out of its previous headquarters on South Congress Avenue, where it also operated a store. It moved into a WeWork space on Barton Springs Road temporarily. Now, it is ready to grow in East Austin, Lafitte said.
"We have been searching for the right headquarters, and I think this space is going to be perfect for us," he said. "It's big enough to help with our expansion plans but doesn't have a lot of excess capacity."
Tecovas decided on the location as it "looked at where our employees live and what their commutes would look like. We like the fact that people can go to lunch and walk down the street to a lot of different bars and restaurants."
He added: "Austin is an important part of our story in my view. Austin has so many terrific brands — Yeti, Tito's, Kendra Scott. We're proud to be an Austin-based company."
How Tecovas got its start
Tecovas was founded by Paul Hedrick in 2015 as an online seller of handmade cowboy boots.
The company's boots are designed in Austin and crafted in León, Guanajuato, a Mexican city largely considered the boot-making capital of the world. Tecovas' team of artisans work across many factories in León using a more than 200-step process. Each boot is made using custom tanned leathers.
Before opening its first store on South Congress Avenue in 2019, Tecovas had generated all its revenue from online sales.
The bootmaker is one of several retailers that were initially online-only before embarking on a brick-and-mortar expansion. San Francisco-based footwear brand Allbirds, which also launched on the web, opened a store on South Congress in Austin in 2020.
Tecovas — which also sells western apparel, accessories, shoes and bags — raised $56 million in 2022 to expand its retail presence nationwide.
"It's greatest to get people to our store," Lafitte said. "It's a very sensory brand — it's the smell when you walk in. You want to touch and feel the boots."
What's next for Tecovas?
Lafitte was recruited as Tecovas' CEO two years ago, with Hedrick becoming the company's executive chairman. Lafitte, previously chief operating officer at Deckers Brands, which operates brands including UGG, Hoka and Teva, was charged with stepping up retail expansion.
The company opened eight stores in 2023, bringing its total to 32 locations in such cities as Nashville, Atlanta, Baton Rouge, La., Fairfax, Va., and Raleigh N.C.
In Austin, it operates two stores — one at the Domain Northside and another at 1500 S. Congress Ave.
In 2024, Tecovas will open its first store in the Northeast and two stores in California as well as other locations, Lafitte said.
The company has grown from about $1 million in net sales in its first year to more than $200 million in annual net sales, Lafitte said. Tecovas does not disclose revenue, but Lafitte said Tecovas reported 24% year-over-year revenue growth in 2023.
"The return has been good on our retail expansion," Lafitte said. To increase awareness of the brand, Tecovas is also hosting and sponsoring events such as live music.
"Events are a big area for us on driving awareness," he said. "The more events we can do, we will, because it's very experiential, like our stores are. It's a very important part of the strategy."
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin-based Tecovas boots is moving to a new East Austin headquarters
