WORKING LUNCH WITH ROS
TODD WATTS - UGG SINCE 1974
UGG Since 1974 owner Todd Watts is almost as passionate about his favourite working lunch – a curry studded with chicken, pork, carrots and potatoes (“from a local joint”), as he is about the brand’s iconic, hand-crafted sheepskin boots. And that is incredibly enthusiastic.
Between lusty mouthfuls of aromatic sauce, the ‘UGG’ boss, (who looks more like a local surfer), generously offers to treat me to a dish, should I visit his Miami headquarters – a former roller-skating rink on the sunny Gold Coast. It will now happen.
The story behind UGG Since 1974 is a true-blue Aussie legend. It all started with Arthur Springthorpe, who knew a thing or two about the finest Australian wool, as a New South Wales’ wool classer. He left school at 14 but quickly rose through the ranks, to become head wool classer.
But Arthur wanted more. Back in the 1960s, he utilised some of those luxurious sheep skins to make a line of moccasins, UGG boots and other accessories eventually opening a souvenir shop in The Rocks tourism precinct on Sydney Harbour.
With his wife, Faye, helping out, they painstakingly crafted many of his wares from a garage and they quickly found a market.
“UGG boots were just one of the products we made,” Watts explains. “At that time, they were mostly worn by surfers to keep their feet warm on the way to the beach. It was only in the 1970s that UGG boots become popular across Australia and sparked interest around the world because of their unique style.”
Arthur Springthorpe moved his family to the Gold Coast in the late 1980s after they fell in love with the iconic spot on a holiday. He opened a workshop on the outskirts, which mainly catered to tourists, arriving by the busload.
“They just operated out of a tiny little joint with a couple of staff who now also work for my wife, Hannah and I,” Watts remarks. “We’re the third generation of UGG boot makers.”
Arthur and Faye Springthorpe sold the business to Watts’ parents in the 90s. So, as a young boy, he really got to know the brand from the ground up. He also worked at the factory on holidays from school and university, eventually becoming production manager.
However, when his parents decided to sell up in 2014, he decided that his ambitions lay elsewhere. He wanted to become an entrepreneur.
“So, they sold it to a businessman who wanted to take it global,” he explains. “That’s where it came unstuck. It grew too large, too quickly and then it went into administration.”
One day, Watts took a call from one of the brand’s old suppliers, who advised him that it was on the market again and that he should take it over. After all, Todd knew everything there is to know about UGG boots and could surely make it a success.
“I went to my wife, Hannah, a solicitor, and told her that I couldn’t do it without her. She agreed, so we gave it a crack, put an offer on the table, and brought it back to the family,” he explains. “I think it was one of the proudest days of my grandfather’s life.”
“That was seven years ago and it’s been upwards and onwards ever since. We’re doing better now than ever before,” he says.
In the couple’s hands, UGG Since 1974 has now upped its fashion credentials with an option of sleek designs, along with a stunning palette of colours and detailing, and a Limited Edition collection, which even includes UGGs with platform heels for women. No wonder the footwear is hitting pavements all over Australia.
The secret to the brand’s success is that the production is kept in-house and each pair is meticulously hand-crafted by a staff member who takes great pride in their work. In fact, each pair of UGG Since 1974 boots goes through 20 pairs of hands. Think of it as the ultimate quality control.
Watts acknowledges that many Australian and overseas brands try to capitalise on the Outback UGG boot mystique. There was even a tussle in the USA Federal Courts in May 2019 over the naming rights to UGG boots, which saw a major American brand coming out as the winner. It’s still a sore point.
“We stepped back and let the fight over the UGG name go on without us,” Watts remarks. “It was because of the size of that company, they were too big to fight. Even if my grandfather was making UGG boots way before that brand had even heard of them,” he points out.
In order to separate themselves from the battle, the UGG Since 1974 trademark was established in Australia.
“The fact that every single pair is made from scratch, by hand in this factory, is really something in this day and age,” he says. “I can tell you right now that I’m extremely proud of it.”
However, he also acknowledges how difficult it is to do manufacturing in Australia when you’re competing with products that can easily be imported.
“We’re just lucky that UGG boots have this Australian-made connection that is so important to the consumers. I just wish that every product could benefit from this,” he points out.
It appears that many UGG boot companies may not be quite what they seem.
“They bring in half-made products and then they’ll finish them of and slap the Australian-made label. But we’re thrilled to be one of the last standing Australian-made products here,” he says.
Todd and Hannah Watts are determined to continue the legacy of Arthur Spingthorpe and they even have the next generation coming along. Four-year-old Sullivan Watts, spends one day a fortnight with his parents at work, on a break from pre-school. He’s here today, inquisitive about his father’s meal, and wants to sample that side dish of wasabi.
With lunch hastily drawing to a close, Watts is ready to take on the afternoon’s hefty workload.
He doesn’t have a curry every day, he says.
“We’re close to the beach, so I don’t mind to grab something from the bakery and park up at the ocean side with all the fresh sea air. That’s also a great way to spend a lunch break.”
So, it’s easy to understand why UGG Since 1974 – one of the country’s most renowned and respected brands is in the very best of hands. Todd Watts is simply living the Australian dream.
