CNN - Gina London Interviews Jack A Weil
5/10/2001
AT 100 YEARS OLD - JACK WEIL STILL DRIVES THE SAME ROUTE TO WORK. BUT, SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED A BIT...
Jack A. Weil, Founder, Rockmount Ranch Wear, driving to work:
"My first car was a model T Ford..."
...AND HE ADMITS HE NOW COMES IN AT EIGHT INSTEAD OF SIX.
Jack A. Weil walking into Rockmount building:
"I’m not as spry as I was 50 years ago..but I manage.
Gina London, Denver
===(STANDUP)===
- WEIL IS TRULY A "SNAPPY" OLD MAN. WHEN HE FOUNDED THE ROCKMOUNT RANCH WEAR MFG. CO. BACK IN 1946 -- HE WAS THE FIRST TO PUT "SNAPS" ON THE QUINTESSENTIAL COWBOY SHIRT.
Jack A. Weil:
“if a guy got his shirt hooked on the horn of his saddle, with a button and a button hole, he'd get dragged.. but the snap would break away and get loose...”
BUT HE DIDN'T STOP THERE- HE WAS THE FIRST TO MASS PRODUCE THE BOLO TIE.
Jack A. Weil showing various Rockmount bolos:
"I called it a Bola because bola in Portuguese means lariat - but I didn't write very plain and it came out “bolo”. This was the beginning of the bolo ties."
AND YOU DIDN'T THINK THAT COWBOY HATS ALWAYS HAD THOSE ROLLED EDGES, DID YOU?
Jack A. Weil:
"The reason was - so you could ride three across in a pickup! (laughs)
AND NOW THREE GENERATIONS OF WEILS ARE SELLING WESTERN WEAR. THE COMPANY GOING AS STRONG AS "MR. WESTERN" HIMSELF.
Shot of 3 generation of Weils: Jack A., Jack B., Steve
Jack A. Weil:
"The secret is you have to have something that is different from run of the mill...
you have to be somewhat of a ham, to tell you the truth -
Gina London:
“Are you?
Jack A. Weil:
“well, I'm afraid so..."
Gina London:
“AND WHAT MAY THE KEY TO RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MAY ALSO BE THE TRICK TO LIVING A LONG AND SUCCESSFUL LIFE.”
Gina London, CNN, DENVER
