Weaving Tradition into Digital: Launching Brookwood’s First eCommerce Engine

A legacy textile giant with untapped digital potential — and I had to spin up a thriving eCommerce division from scratch.

Role:

Creative Marketing Director

Objective:

Build Brookwood’s first in-house digital marketing function and launch a B2B eCommerce platform to expand revenue beyond traditional channels.

Problem:

Brookwood’s existing marketing department was rooted in traditional practices and lacked modern digital capabilities. The company also had no online sales infrastructure and a fragmented brand identity — yet needed rapid modernization in a highly competitive, segmented market.

Scenario:

Brookwood Companies, a 35-year-old textile manufacturer, was steeped in tradition and reliant on military contracts and word-of-mouth consumer sales. The brand presence was inconsistent across product divisions. Competitors were modernizing quickly, leaving Brookwood at risk of losing relevance in both defense and consumer sectors.

Solution:

I created an integrated Creative Department from the ground up, staffed with a multidisciplinary team. The centerpiece: an in-stock eCommerce platform tailored to the needs of B2B textile buyers. Alongside, I spearheaded a unified brand system that could speak to two very different audiences — defense procurement officers and outdoor gear companies — without diluting identity.

Journey:

Due to the sensitive nature of Brookwood’s work as a military contractor and the proprietary technology involved, I am unable to share certain operational details. This discretion not only reflects my responsibility with confidential information but also the trust placed in me to handle it. Within these boundaries, my contributions included engineering a modern database for eCommerce, coding custom apps and plugins to manage and transfer product data, and structuring product displays to optimize SEO, Google Merchant integration, and ease of updates. The eCommerce rollout was deliberately paced — the new website launched in early 2022, followed by eCommerce in early 2023 — with multiple updates and iterations to align with evolving operational needs.

Success:

By the end of 2023 — its launch year — Brookwood’s eCommerce platform was able to process over $25M in Roll Goods business. In 2024, that number climbed to $63M, and early 2025 sales data suggests the platform will comfortably surpass that figure despite a broader market slowdown and ongoing tariff instability.

Time Frame:

2021–Present | New York, NY

Numbers:

  • $25M+ eCommerce revenue in launch year (2023)
  • $63M eCommerce revenue (2024)
  • On track to surpass 2024 revenue in 2025

Integrated Creative & Marketing Leadership

Brookwood Companies

Built and led a unified creative–marketing function that aligned brand, sales, and execution inside a complex, legacy organization.

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Net-New Growth Platforms

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Launched the company’s first direct digital sales platform, establishing a modern growth channel where none previously existed.

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Large-Scale Brand Environments

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Directed physical brand expression across manufacturing facilities and major industry trade shows under fixed deadlines and real-world constraints.

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High-Sensitivity Work Across Distinct Domains

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Led the creation of a PFAS-free performance brand under environmental regulatory scrutiny, while separately operating within a military-contractor environment handling sensitive tactical materials and technologies.

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Sustained Multi-Channel Execution

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Ran continuous print, digital, video, and communications programs year after year without brand drift or loss of credibility.

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Translated advanced research and institutional priorities into clear, credible materials for donors and public audiences.

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