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.
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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.
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“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.
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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.”
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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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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.
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“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’.
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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.”
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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.”
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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
Worsley-born wood-fired pizza brand set for sensational US expansion
Danny Jones
A Greater Manchester food brand that started in the little village of Worsley is about to go international in a big way as local Leopard Pie pizza is set to take America by storm.
In one of the most major and exciting culinary success stories to come out of Salford in some time, perhaps ever, much-loved pizza Leopard Pie have quietly struck a deal to carry out a significant expansion into the US.
Not only does this mean the likelihood of there being more of their restaurants up and down in the UK but with multiple venues scheduled to open across the Atlantic, the brand could be at the start of an unbelievable global journey.
Come on, how often do you hear a Manc foodie name in the same sentence as the States?
Leopard Pie and their delicious wood-fired pizza are set to make their debut in the US. (Credit: The Manc Eats)
Speaking exclusively to The Manc, Leopard Pie confirmed: “We’re proud to share that Leopard Pie is embarking on a major U.S. expansion with a multi-location deal over the next five years.
“This marks a defining moment in our journey as we introduce a bold new Leopard Pie identity to the American market—while staying true to the heart and spirit that has made our UK brand and locations so widely loved.
“This milestone represents the start of an extraordinary journey as we introduce the next evolution of Leopard Pie—one that amplifies everything that has made our brand beloved while bringing fresh energy and bold new design concepts to a global audience.”
Already working intensely behind the scenes on what they’re hailing as a “visionary new US restaurant concept” for their pizza empire that not only elevated the dining experience but will “set new standards in the fast-casual dining scene”.
They also detailed plans to set up a dedicated domestic base of operations across the pond which will include a world-class training and development hub “to ensure that every chef and operator joining our US family delivers excellence from day one.”
When it comes to Manchester food and drink brands that have blown up, you’d be hard-pressed to any that have gone from an idea that started as recently as 2015 and gained traction during lockdown to expanding within such a fast time frame, let alone on such a massive scale – not even Rudy’s.
The big news now put to one side, it won’t surprise you to learn that Leopard Pie has stated “This is just the beginning”, teasing that they plan to expand into several other key territories and keep building the brand as much as possible.
Owner Lee Chester told us that America always felt somewhat in the stars for the neighbourhood staple; “From the very beginning, Leopard Pie was built with global ambition— the word ‘Pie’ itself a subtle nod to our U.S. vision, a hint as to what was to come.
“I am incredibly proud to be leading the brand into this exciting new era, where my role will evolve to mentor and empower new entrepreneurs to achieve success under the Leopard Pie name.
“I believe wholeheartedly that Leopard Pie’s next chapter will be one of exponential success, built on passion, innovation, and leadership. For those who partner with us now, the potential is immense—and the journey promises to be unforgettable.”
The brand has remained 100% independently owned since day one, having turned down multiple investment offers to date, but is now embarking on what feels like an unprecedented chapter for a local restaurant as they open up to “select strategic partnerships and investments”.
While specifics regarding how quickly the move into America will get underway and just how many sites there will be are still being kept under wraps, more details will be released soon enough.
Lee summed up the next steps by adding: “I believe with absolute certainty that Leopard Pie is entering a decade of unparalleled growth and excitement. For those who choose to partner with us now, the rewards and the legacy we will create together will be remarkable.”
And last but not least, you don’t have to worry about a local joint that started in Worsley forgetting their roots – the Salford staple isn’t just one of the best pizza places in Manchester but their hometown story is what makes this so special.
For now, you’ll still find them serving up full wood-fired Neapolitan pies and slices over in Worsley and from their stall in Kargo MKT in Central Bay, so give it a try if you haven’t already.
Their Kargo MKT site in Salford Quays.It really is very good.Credit: The Manc Group
You can get a mobile massage treatment in your office – just like us
Thomas Melia
We’d like to introduce you to the pioneering personalised service offering massage treatments on the move at practically any location including direct from your office– including to those of us here in Manchester.
In a world where you can get practically anything delivered straight to your door, it wasn’t going to be long until some genius invented a way to get a massage from the comfort of your own office.
Named ‘London’s first digital beauty concierge’, Ruuby have been pampering the nation’s capital for almost a decade before branching out to further locations.
The gorgeous set up provided by RuubyLook at that lovely branding on the towels.They did wonders with our otherwise plain downstairs office space. (Credit: The Manc Group)
In October 2024, the company expanded beyond its domestic reach in the likes of the capital, the Cotswolds and Surrey into Europe, making its first mark Switzerland: the perfect country for both luxury and essential beauty treatments with a tailored experience.
The month following saw the group moving up North and all the way to Manchester, where people can now book professional treatments best suited to them, right on their doorstep.
If you’re feeling scepticalstill, you can take it from us here at The Manc; we couldn’t tell you how relaxing and comforting these massages are.
There are a range of treatments available and we opted for two bespoke massages, a sports massage and a deep tissue massage.
Each experience is suited to your personal needs meaning each massage therapist will be able to fine-tune their relaxation abilities to what benefits you best.
After choosing the bespoke massage that I felt would work best for me, I went into this with no prior massage experience and I came out feeling taller, broader and more refreshed. Highly recommend.
Mid-day office massage? Yes, please.How relaxing. What a shame you have to go back to work after!Credit: The Manc Group
My masseuse guided me throughout the whole process and we soon discovered that I was able to tolerate much harder pressure than I thought which helped release tension I didn’t even know I had!
The same applies to how firm you’d like your session to be, as the masseuse can help with a brief overview of your time together, but the amount of pressure you like is down to personal preference.
It’s not just massages either: there’s everything from waxing, nails and hair to physio and IV drips; how about getting Marbella ready in less than an hour with a spray tan service set up wherever you are?
As Ruuby is a mobile and remote work environment, there are a number of at any time up and down the country, meaning your next beauty slot could be as little as an hour away, find out more HERE.