Design & Manufacturing News South Africa

Fieldbar: The SA success story taking on Europe

Cape Town-based business Fieldbar, which handcrafts stylish cooler boxes, has gone from a local success story to a brand with global appeal employing more than 30 people.
Fieldbar team from left to right: Corban Warrington, Lee Hartman and Taimi Paulino. Source: Supplied
Fieldbar team from left to right: Corban Warrington, Lee Hartman and Taimi Paulino. Source: Supplied

Established in 2020, Fieldbar gained local traction through impressive sales with Yuppiechef but is now generating sales from abroad having attracted the attention of international retailers, including international luxury department store Harrods.

London’s Harrods started stocking the product in August 2022 and has re-ordered stock for the December season. The department store is known for setting consumer trends, making this a significant step in the Fieldbar journey.

Fieldbar is also expanding abroad by setting up warehouses in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Solid investment case

Invenfin, the venture capital arm of South African investment group Remgro Limited, has been part of the company’s growth journey from early on, providing investment capital and strategic support to management to help ensure the brand’s longevity and success.

“This has not only been an important investment for us, but also a fun one – it’s a feel-good, live-life brand which really resonates with us and with global consumers today. We recognised early on that Fieldbar was bringing something unique and fresh to the market and that they had developed a product with significant international potential,” says Judy Sendzul, Invenfin investment executive.

Invenfin was immediately drawn to the company because it had a strong brand philosophy and tone that had global appeal. Fieldbar had invested into creating a compelling value proposition for its customers – from exclusive Owner’s Club membership to exceptional handcrafting in design to a proven ice life of more than 50 hours.

Fieldbar has seen solid support from other investors, such as Mike Minkley, Scott Hindmarch and Philip Lambrecht, who assisted in Fieldbar in building a global brand.

Looking ahead, Fieldbar has already started work on additional designs and products to add to its range.

“Every product is individually hand-crafted and finished with a unique code for new owners to register their Fieldbar as part of the owner’s club. When you add this level of detail and nuance to the fact that the team is driven, the culture inclusive and the product relevant, you can see why Fieldbar’s growth is beating all expectations,” concludes Sendzul.

Let's do Biz