Hudson Hawk ownership starts sister business

The ownership team behind Springfield-based Hudson Hawk Barber & Shop has launched a new business in the men's grooming products space.

Hitch Goods Inc. had a soft launch last week, said Weston Odneal, public relations coordinator for HH Holding Co. LLC, the parent company of the businesses. Hitch Goods sells pomade hair products.

Hitch Goods' launch this month comes after testing by more than 100 barbers and 27 iterations, according to a news release.

"We've been working on perfecting Hitch for years," co-owner Thad Forrester said in the release, pointing to a testing period of nearly seven years.

An undisclosed California manufacturer has prepared 10,000 units of the company's products. The company's starting lineup of pomade hair products comprises All Day Clay, which is designed to provide a medium hold with a matte finish, and Weightless Clay, for a light hold with a natural finish.

Odneal declined to disclose the ownership team's investment in Hitch Goods.

He said the company's products are available at all Hudson Hawk shops, all Outlaw Gentlemen Barbershop locations and through HitchGoods.com. Outlaw Gentlemen owner Kix Nelson started his hair-cutting career eight years ago at Hudson Hawk in Springfield, according to past reporting.

Forrester and Paul Catlett started Hudson Hawk in 2013, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting. The business now operates a dozen shops in Springfield, Kansas City, Columbia, northwest Arkansas and Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to its website.