Oklahoma City FRIDAY, Friday, July 3, 2015, Page C-1

Next Generation Most Powerful

PAIGE WILLIAMSDirector of TourismChickasaw Nation

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ELISE HALLState Representative

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BRIAN MAUGHANCounty Commissioner

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ADRIENNE NOBLESAssistant VP for University Relations

University of Central OklahomaPage D-2

PAULA LOVEOwner, PLPR

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KELSEY McLEANOwner, Fore Kids Golf

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KYLA TURNERCommunications Manager

Love’s Travel StopsPage D-3

JOSH DUTYCEO, QuiBids

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JAMES COTTERVice President, Cotter & Sons

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ROBERT HEFNER VOwner, Hefner Energy

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DANIEL FRANKENSTEINand ERIELLE RESHEF

JANVEST, KOCOPage C-4

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Oklahoma City FRIDAY, Friday, July 3, 2015, Page D-1

When Kelsey Aber-nathy McLeanwalked into theFieldstone Golf Clubin Wilmington

Delaware, she was eight monthspregnant and wanting newbornclothes with the club’s logo for herbaby’s layette.

She asked the pro about babyclothes and he said, “No, there’snothing like that in the golf indus-try.”

Golf apparel is a billion dollarindustry and there were no babyclothes? Kelsey decided therewould be soon. She would start acompany, Fore Kids Golf.

“I never played a round of golf,knew nothing about business,”Kelsey said. “I asked people in thebiz and found out Peru was theplace to go for Pima Cotton andfound a manufacturer.”

Kelsey designed the clothes andtraveled to the August 2013 PGAMerchandise Show with only sam-

ples. Orders poured into the busi-ness and she immersed herselfinto learning about the manufac-turing business.

Kelsey is from Oklahoma City,granddaughter of oilman JackAbernathy and sister of Rod Aber-nathy. When she enrolled inkindergarten at an OKC school,her parents were told she wouldnever be able to fill out a job appli-cation. She was dyslexic. Sheattended private girls’ school inTexas, graduated from Pine ManorCollege with a degree in Interna-tional Business and sold realestate in Boston until the marketcrashed in 2008.

Kelsey, husband Rob McLeanand baby Ian Stirling McLeanmoved to Chaddsford, Penn. ByFebruary of 2014, she made thedecision to buy her own top of theline commercial embroiderymachines and soon was selling tohundreds of golf clubs, from Okla-homa City Golf & Country Club to

St. Andrews in Scotland.For each new design, a techni-

cal consultant professor at theUniversity of Delaware prepares a“tech-pak” for each size to go toPeru with the order. The customlogos are done on the latestembroidery equipment with smalldetail needles in her factory. Shedoes not sell online. The onlyplace to buy Fore Kids Golf is atthe country club with its logo onit; or the cruise line or the RitzCarlton.

Ritz Carlton asked her toexpand her robe sizing up to 18and to design a Ritz Carlton adultrobe. She created a different labelfor the larger sizes, “KelseyMacLean.” Another company heldthe Trademark on the correctspelling of her name so she addedthe “a.”

Her husband, Rob, is workingwith her now.

“You don’t want me doing thenumbers,” Kelsey laughed.

She does all the design, adver-tising and marketing. Fore KidsGolf and Kelsey MacLean labelshave expanded into the MiddleEast, China, Caribbean and adozen more countries, includingCanada.

Up and at the office by 5 a.m.,Kelsey limits herself to a 12-hourday, so she can have family timeat night. The kid’s clothes includeonesies, diaper covers, polos,girls’ tennis dresses, khaki slacksand shorts, bibs, bodysuits,rompers, bay dresses withbloomers, coveralls, giggle hats…Kelsey designs almost anythingand everything. So far, she is onlydoing robes for adults.

“Golf Clubs are more and moreabout family,” Kelsey said. “Wemake the finest quality for themwith their exclusive logos.”

She was an expectant mother,wanting to buy a golf club shirt forher yet unborn baby and becamethe accidental entrepreneur.

Kelsey McLean, Fore Kids Golf

All she wanted was to buy her

newborn country club clothes,

now she manufactures them

KELSEY ABERNATHY McLEAN AND her son Ian.

“I never played a round of golf, knew nothing about busi-ness. I asked people in the biz and found out Peru was theplace to go for Pima Cotton and found a manufacturer.”

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