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
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Disclaimer

OriginalSaad.com and SaadStudio.com, and their owner and author, Saad Ahmad Khan, including all related content, materials, communications, and representations, whether digital, printed, or otherwise (collectively, “these platforms”), are independent portfolio and professional presentation platforms and are not affiliated with, authorized by, or acting on behalf of Brookwood Companies Inc. or any of its subsidiaries.

References to Brookwood Companies, Brookwood-ZERO™, or related initiatives are presented solely for portfolio and professional promotion purposes. No content on these platforms constitutes product claims, compliance statements, regulatory representations, or commercial offers related to Brookwood Companies Inc. or its products. Nothing contained on these platforms should be interpreted as technical, regulatory, environmental, or compliance claims regarding any Brookwood Companies Inc. products.

These platforms are not involved in the sale, marketing, distribution, or representation of Brookwood Companies Inc. products. OriginalSaad.com, SaadStudio.com, and Saad Ahmad Khan assume no responsibility or liability for Brookwood Companies Inc.’s past, current, or future business activities, product representations, legal matters, or regulatory positions. Content presented on these platforms may not be relied upon for legal, regulatory, commercial, or purchasing decisions.

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All trademarks, product names, and company names are the property of their respective owners.

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professional summary

Many organizations conflate Marketing, Communications, and Creative — treating them as interchangeable rather than distinct disciplines that need to work in harmony. That confusion creates weak narratives, fragmented execution, and growth that stalls for reasons no dashboard can explain. I work across all three, deliberately and fluently, helping organizations correct that imbalance and use it as an advantage.

I’m effective in environments that are building, scaling, modernizing, or resetting — particularly when clarity is needed across strategy, message, and execution. I can operate as one function, another, or all three, depending on what the organization actually needs. That range isn’t accidental; it’s how I help teams move forward without duplicating effort or diluting intent.

What I consistently bring to the table is straightforward:

  • Strategy that identifies practical goals and fluid pathways to achieve them
  • Design and planning that deliver high impact for the audience without unnecessary spend
  • Production and execution that reach the finish line decisively — and outperform expectations

My background spans creative craft, technical systems, and modern marketing infrastructure. I’m fluent across visual production, digital platforms, and AI-assisted workflows — not because tools define the work, but because choosing, integrating, and replacing them is part of responsible leadership. I don’t serve software. I use it.

My leadership style is expeditionary, but disciplined. I plan carefully, set direction clearly, and trust teams to operate once alignment is established. Over-structuring is often just fear wearing a spreadsheet — but rigor matters. Structure is chosen intentionally, not accumulated by habit. When the environment shifts, I adjust without losing momentum, and I make sure the team arrives intact and ready for what comes next.

I’m sometimes described as a “Swiss Army knife.” It can sound casual until the situation stops cooperating and rigid role definitions fail. In those moments, range becomes leverage. I’ve helped organizations grow by correcting structural blind spots, unifying fragmented functions, and executing with confidence where others hesitate.

For a concise overview of how I operate with modern creative, marketing, and AI-driven systems, see Operating Fluency.

Download Resume

Disclaimer

In this uncanny likeness of myself to the left — although masterfully drawn — the only thing untrue in this image is the fact that I do not smoke.

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