If you want to get ahead...

Lighting up the business scene . . . that’s Jack Marland

A DELIGHTED businessman has secured an exclusive distribution deal for the whole of the UK and Europe for an innovative product he will import from America.

Jack Marland (57), of Delph, has established Cap Light UK Ltd to distribute baseball caps with high-intensity LED bulbs in the peak.

The lightweight caps have a range of uses from the automotive industry to leisure and will be marketed on this side of the Atlantic under the CLUK brand. There are caps with infra-red lights for night vision and others with downward pointing bulbs for use in the audio-visual/entertainment field.

Mr Marland started to develop his own version of the cap several months ago, producing a proto-type before discovering Panther Vision in Illinois, Chicago.

“Then a whole series of co-incidences kicked in and we are now ready to start trading,” said Mr Marland, who is the sole owner of the distribution rights.

Talking over the idea with long-standing friend Phil Rigby, who works for a chemical company in Stalybridge, Mr Marland mentioned Chicago — the global headquarters of Mr Rigby’s employer. He was put in touch with the company’s marketing director, Mike Maretick, who offered to visit the Panther Vision premises.

“That was the start of a process that has ended with the sole distribution rights for the UK and Europe being awarded to Cap Light UK,” added Mr Marland, who has already started to explore new ways of developing the Panther Vision technology into other products.

“I have lots of ideas which I want to discuss with the Americans,” he said. “I really need to go out there now and visit them to take these ideas forward.

“That’s the next step, once I have developed the website and set up some outlets in this country.

“I am really excited and hope to see the CLUK trademark dominating the market soon.”

As the saying goes, if you want to get ahead . . . get a hat.