It’s gone 7am, and for millions in The Golden Gate City, the day is only just beginning.
Hap Klopp, however, has already been up for hours.
At 78 years of age, he’s still got that ‘seize the moment’ attitude – the kind that pulses through the veins of every hungry entrepreneur constantly trying to find more hours in the average day.
Since establishing The North Face in 1968, Hap has lived the globetrotting lifestyle of the international businessman – carrying his briefcase across time zones for more than fifty years.
Even in 2019, he spent the best part of 180 days a year on the move.
The pandemic has meant Hap – who spent his childhood in the outdoors and later launched a clothing company committed to exploring the wild – has moved around significantly less than he might have liked.
“I’ve always prided myself as someone who’s travelled the world all the time,” Hap tells The Manc.
“I’m looking forward to a time when we get back to some degree of normalcy.
“But I’m keeping busy.”
And indeed he is.
When Hap’s not periodically returning to The North Face – a company worth £3 billion – to offer guidance and insight about the business he ran for two decades, he’s writing books, mentoring young workers, and taking seats on company boards.
His work takes him to several continents, but one of the projects Hap’s currently most excited about is happening right in Manchester: REVIV.
Run by Denton-raised Sarah Lomas – who starred in BBC documentary Manctopia – REVIV is one of the world’s fastest-growing health and wellness businesses, operating from an HQ in St Ann’s Square.
Their latest concept is HELIIX – COVID management software that enables companies to keep staff safe in the workplace like no other system before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlsZzYISd-Y
“As someone who’s been in business for a long time, the thing that’s key is having some certainty,” Hap explains.
“Uncertainty is the hardest thing to deal with. And COVID is probably the most uncertain thing that’s popped up in quite some time.
“Being able to forecast costs and constantly changing regulations… it’s impossible to keep up with that manually.
“But a tool that can manage employees’ health, tell you when it’s safe to bring people back, and calculate COVID costs – all on a dashboard you can have on your phone? That’s really exciting.”
After more than half a century as an entrepreneur, Hap’s seen just about everything. So, when you’ve got the business guru “really excited” about something, you’re likely onto a winner.
In his role as REVIV’s non-executive director, Hap provides insight based on his own experiences.
And there’re few better people in business to have on your side.
Hap was already running his first business aged 22, taking the reins of the family firm when his father passed away.
The young entrepreneur spent his first year at Stanford University flying back and forth between California and Washington – managing the business in between his exams.
“I negotiated the sale of the company whilst I was getting my MBA,” Hap tells us.
“I was able to sell it at the end of my first year.”
Hap graduated from Stanford in 1966 with two diplomas and a proven track record of running a business. But he still found opportunities somewhat hard to come by.
“I kinda believed someone would wanna hire me to run a company – I mean, I’d already run a company and had a Stanford MBA… but nobody really did that,” he laughs.
“I looked around and thought what I might do is what a lot of entrepreneurs do; go to a big company, learn a little bit, and keep my eyes open for opportunities.
“I had a lot of ideas about how a company should be run, but they didn’t fit with the times. I didn’t believe in planned obsolescence which was the nature of the day. I believed in sustainability.”
One interview Hap attended was with multinational Procter & Gamble.
During the meeting, the HR department told Hap he wasn’t allowed to use his nickname (he must go by his real name Kenneth instead) and warned him he’d have to wear a white shirt and tie (despite the fact he was dressed in exactly that way for the interview).
It wasn’t his scene.
“I knew I was outta there,” Hap says.
“That [interview] taught me what big business was all about then. Companies were hiring very selectively, and what I decided is if you can’t work for anybody else and have all these ideas that don’t fit – you need to start a company of your own.
“You have no idea how big it’s going to be, but at least it’s going to be one that you love and be proud of.”
Hap, having been raised in the great wide outdoors in Spokane, soon stumbled across a concept that struck a chord: The North Face.
The climbing equipment store had been set up by husband and wife Douglas and Susie Tomkins – two would-be entrepreneurs who found love whilst hitchhiking (and later went on to launch Esprit).
Hap knew he could flesh out the idea and turn it into something bigger.
“When you’re raised in Spokane, you spend most of your time in the outdoors. You go hiking, climbing, scrambling, skiing… I felt I knew what a good product was. I studied for six months about the outdoor industry and founded The North Face.
“Back then, people were only going a few hundred feet rather than deep into the wilderness, because climbing equipment was so heavy.
“My idea was to disrupt. We took materials that the U.S. military used in the Vietnam War and applied them to camping. We lightened the load by 50% and created a new backpacking industry.
“In ‘68, people were marching in the streets for a variety of reasons; people were just about to go on the moon. I had dreams of changing the world and making it better with a company that did some good.”
After spending twenty years at the helm and turning The North Face into an internationally renowned hiking brand, Hap continued to get involved with people, ideas or companies who were ‘disrupting’.
These included businesses specialising in digitisation and nanotechnology. But also health and wellness; which is particularly pertinent in the current climate.
“Finding solutions to one’s health and intervening early – that’s the future,” Hap says.
“That’s why REVIV interested me. What really got me excited was some of the initiatives they had – including DNA analysis.
“They were working on this system that showed how different food affected different people.
“If the cost for an app like that was tolerable – then that’s a real step towards being active in preserving health and wellness.”
With a new, more infectious strain of COVID accelerating in the UK, workplaces are under immense pressure to get it right when it comes to social distancing and taking care of their staff.
And REVIV’s latest innovation – HELIIX – is designed to do exactly that.
“REVIV immediately pivoted when COVID hit,” Hap says.
“That’s what I liked and similar to what we had in mind at The North Face; this idea of being socially responsible.
“They started offering not-for-profit COVID testing in the UK and US, and started providing information during a time when everyone was starved of it.”
As much as Hap enjoys REVIV’s repeated attempts to disrupt, there’s this other attribute that’s keeping him so actively involved in business – long past the point many of his contemporaries might have retired.
“They’re doing good for the world,” Hap says serenely.
“And that’s what’s important.”
Business
The latest on Salford Red Devils financial situation as ‘winding-up’ petition is adjourned
Danny Jones
The current situation at Salford Red Devils is far from ideal, with the rugby league team currently owing hundreds of thousands of pounds in debt, not to mention facing further stress over finances with players owed wages, key personnel leaving and remaining uncertainty over future ownership.
So, why is the board expressing reassurance among supporters following the recent adjournment of a ‘winding-up’ petition, and what exactly does this mean?
It is no doubt a complex issue, but with the season concluding in October and the Greater Manchester club essentially being given a stay of execution, for lack of a better phrase, it’s possible that a corner could hopefully be turned soon.
Here’s everything we know so far about the situation in Salford and where the Red Devils’ finances are currently at.
Salford Red Devils’ finances and more – explained
For a start, they’re late on payroll again this month.
Salford Red Devils players have been told they will not receive their salaries today.https://t.co/ofHTR0uZyN
According to recent reports, Salford Red Devils owe more than half a million pounds to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) at present, with current estimates said to be in the region of £600,000.
The Super League side has fallen into debt due to a number of factors: their own performance as a business, cuts to local funding and a period of spending in terms of recruitment and pre-season preparation under the assumption of a subsidy from Salford City Council (SCC).
However, this would-be uplift – despite it being promised late last year – never came as the Council (having already provided £315k in ‘immediate’ financial aid back in March 2024) U-turned on the decision after it was revealed further backing was not in the budget.
SCC ended up owing around £2 million itself after stepping in to save both SRD and fellow rugby league outfit Swinton Lions, handing out loans to both clubs even prior to purchasing Salford Community Stadium and the surrounding area.
The Council ultimately shelled out north of £7.7m to buy the ground and sever commercial ties with previous owners, Peel. They had hoped to further alleviate pressure on the club, but Salford Red Devils (SRD) had already spent the money they were expecting to receive on new players, training and more.
SRD were then told to sell off a number of players by the league.
With all this in mind, something called a ‘winding-up’ petition – basically a document sent by creditors that demands the immediate liquidation of a company/organisation that owes them money – was filed by HMRC back in May, with the tax authorities demanding payment of the outstanding sum.
However, special dispensation appears to have been made not only due to the complicated and unforeseen circumstances Salford have faced along the way, but also for the sake of the Rugby Football League (RFL) itself, with the Red Devils still seen as a valuable sporting and community asset.
One of those unexpected twists was the takeover by a new consortium led by Dario Berta, whose investment failed to clear in time and resulted in the club being hit with the financial sustainability problem that saw them cutbacks.
In a small bit of good fortune, it has now been decided that the petition to liquidate the SRD has been postponed, though not indefinitely.
As expected, there is good news that the winding-up petition filed by HMRC against Salford Red Devils has been successfully adjourned by the club's representatives in London until after the season has finished in September.
It's important to focus on supporting Salford as they…
— The Game Caller 🗣🎙📻 (@TheGameCaller) June 25, 2025
What could happen next?
The date for coughing up what debt they owe to the tax authorities has now been pushed back to September, meaning they have until then to find the finances, or else they could very well be made insolvent in a matter of months.
However, as per BBC Radio Manchester, those involved in the ongoing process are “confident” that bridging loans will be put in place over the coming days to keep HMRC at bay.
And, nevertheless, head coach Paul Rowley has insisted that he can see “green shoots” starting to emerge around the club, despite still sitting bottom of the table with just one win to their name.
What’s for sure is that the local area isn’t giving up on them, with numerous fundraisers and charity events being set up to help support the club via the official Salford Red Devils Foundation.
Fingers firmly crossed that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Kala announces closure after more than half a decade in Manchester city centre
Danny Jones
Another hit for the Manchester hospitality sector as city centre cult favourite Kala has announced it has closed with immediate effect.
The Manc bistro, beloved for putting a contemporary slant on British and French classics, was opened by restaurateur Gary Usher back in 2021, receiving plenty of positive press over the years.
Announcing the shutdown on Tuesday evening (24 June), Usher shared an extended statement on social media, explaining the details behind the decision – but there was one, clear, overriding reason.
Confirming the news on Instagram, the chef-owner wrote: “Gary Usher here.. It’s with a heavy heart that I announce the immediate closure of Kala. I’m not really sure how to explain why we’ve closed other than we weren’t busy enough to cover our costs.
“I really really want to blame the economy and the pandemic. I really want to say the rising costs have made it impossible. All those factors haven’t helped, but we are 50% down in trade at Kala, and that is the killer.”
Nevertheless, Kala’s reputation has remained strong throughout, boasting one of the best elevated albeit accessible evening and lunch deals in the city centre, not to mention at very reasonable prices.
Moreover, they were famed for their stunning Sunday dinners, with Sacha Lord dubbing them the best roasts in Manchester he’s had “in ages.”
Usher goes on to add: “It goes without saying our business rates [are] increasing substantially, and the hike in NIC [national insurance] contributions only works against us. This was not planned, but neither was us being this quiet in June. All the Kala team will be paid up to date, our rent & suppliers too.
“If you have a voucher with us, as always, it can be used in the wider group. It was always a dream to have a restaurant on King Street in Manchester. I just wish it had lasted longer than 6 years.
“Thank you to all the team past & present & I’m so sorry to all of you and all the guests that I couldn’t create something with longevity.
“Please come and visit us in Didsbury at Hispi where it will be our pleasure to welcome you. Farewell, King Street. Farewell Kala. Gary.”
We’re back after a busy Sunday lunch service with our Monday lunch options. Don’t forget our great value bistro menu is available all evening too. pic.twitter.com/TtV4grWurK
Kala closing marks yet another local business we’re gutted to see go, as it was only earlier this month that we had to bid goodbye to both Medlock Canteen and Indian street food spot, Rola Wala, which closed on Monday.
Safe to say it’s been a gutting few days for local food and drink.
With that being said, please do support the Elite Group’s remaining restaurants where you can, which include the aforementioned Hispi, The Sticky Walnut in Chester, The White Horse in the Cheshire village of Churton, as well as Wreck in Liverpool.
All we can say is thanks for the memories and the brilliant food.