KC luxury watch startup, Niall lands in Tivol stores
June 10, 2015 | Bobby Burch
Luxury timepiece-maker Niall will soon be selling its watches with one of Kansas City’s most prestigious jewelers.
The Kansas City-based watchmaker will start selling its timepieces at two Kansas City Tivol stores on June 18, offering it both exposure and validation, Niall CEO Mike Wilson said. Tivol is the company’s first major retailer, Wilson said.
“It’s huge for us,” Wilson said. “This was a very important step for us because it’s huge validation that someone like Tivol — who’s been around 100 years and only deals with the best brands — has chosen to work with us, a young company.”
Wilson said that Niall’s partner, Salva O’Renick, has been invaluable in helping the company gain traction. Also CEO of marketing and sales tech firm Chemistry, Wilson said that Salva O’Renick has been particularly helpful with getting its products into the hands of consumers.
“One complication was building market validation,” he said. “We had the marketing piece of it, but really the piece that was missing was sales and distribution. People that like Niall would like to see it in a case next to a Rolex or Panerai.”
Founded in 2014, Niall watches start at $3,950. Niall is manufactured in Kansas City, and nearly all of its parts derive from within the United States, Wilson said.
Featured Business
2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Survival gets the wheels turning: Why this founder sold his home and belongings for a new pro journey
An entrepreneur who’s gained a following with his homegrown wrestling company and deeply personal cancer survival story is hitting the road — hoping to change perspectives about the disease by engaging and uplifting others who are fighting or affected by the disease. “It’s so easy to ignore something like brain cancer when it is seen…
Passion project set in stone: 2000 Vine Street’s ‘cultural inheritance’ is 150 years in the making
Editor’s note: This story is the first in a series from Startland News highlighting entrepreneurs, businesses, and creators leading revitalization and redevelopment efforts in and around the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District. Click here to read additional stories from this series. The revitalization of the two oldest public works buildings in Kansas City, abandoned…
KC, Wichita investors, new backers boost Novel Capital’s efforts to break down funding barriers
Additional funders have joined a seed extension round to help Novel Capital accelerate growth for B2B predictable revenue companies, the company announced Monday, noting further investment by KCRise Fund and Wichita-based Tenzing Capital. Novel Capital’s latest funding round was led by Ulu Ventures, with additional participation from MatterScale and Edovate Capital, as well as its…
Sister pitmasters of Jones Bar-B-Q, made famous by Queer Eye, are selling their restaurant
Editor’s note: The following story was originally published by KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR member station, and a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. Click here to read the original story or here to sign up for KCUR’s email newsletter. After Thursday’s lunch rush, Mary “Shorty” Jones and her sister, Deborah “Little” Jones stood outside of their beloved Jones Bar-B-Q, waving at the…