BOWDEN — Local entrepreneur Diane Kelm says her product, Hot Headz welding hats, are scheduled to be featured soon on a lifestyle show which is syndicated across Canada and into the U.S.
She says they're slated to be featured on Aug. 3 in a segment of the Marc and Mandy Show.
The pre-made and custom-made hats are worn under welding helmets to provide extra protection from sparks. Kelm says they can also be worn by anyone who wears a helmet, including motorcycle riders.
Kelm's company has been producing Hot Headz hats for more than 20 years now. She says they're designed to be fashionable as well as safe.
Kelm began making the caps for her dad, a welder, when she was about 14. Later, she began making them for his friends and for her brother when he became a welder. Then others began asking for them. About 10 years ago, she decided to turn that into a full-time business.
Kelm has an ad that has been running on the Marc and Mandy Show every Saturday since the beginning of June. But this is bigger. She says someone in Toronto told people in the show about her business. They came out and interviewed her in the spring.
"They contacted me out of the blue back in April," Kelm told the Albertan. "As a result of my marketing over the years, I guess, lots of people know about me."
Kelm says the exposure via the TV show is "very exciting."
Her husband is Bowden councillor Kerry Kelm.
