Custom Ink

Custom Ink
Type of businessPrivate
Type of site
Online Custom Apparel and Accessories, eCommerce
Available inEnglish
Founded2000; 24 years ago (2000), in McLean, Virginia[1]
HeadquartersFairfax, Virginia
No. of locations42 (February 2022)
Area servedUnited States, Canada, Worldwide
Founder(s)
  • Marc Katz
  • Dave Christensen
  • Mike Driscoll
CEOMarc Katz
IndustryCustomized Apparel and Accessories
ProductsT-shirts, Apparel, Accessories
ServicesCustom Apparel, Swag, Promotional Products, Fundraising Campaigns, Uniforms and Corporate Gifts
Revenue~US$500 million
Employees800+
URLcustomink.com

Custom Ink is an American online retail company headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, that makes custom clothing and other items such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, bags, and tech accessories.[2][3]

History[edit]

Custom Ink (first launched as CustomInk) was founded in 2000 by Marc Katz, the company’s CEO and Chairman, and several of his college friends.[4][5][6][7] It began as a t-shirt design company with funding from family and friends, and consisted of a 10-person team.[8] BT Wolfenshohn was the company’s first lead investor.[9] CustomInk reported $1 million in sales its first year and $3 million in 2002.[10] The company’s first profit was reported in 2003 with gross revenue of $7 million.[11]

In 2005, Inc. Magazine ranked Custom Ink the 55th fastest growing business in the U.S.[12] The company reported $61 million in sales in 2009.[13]

In 2011, Custom Ink opened its first production facility in Charlottesville, VA.[14] At the time, the company had expanded to include customized specialty items such as golf balls and umbrellas.[15] It would continue to expand, offering more customized clothing and items including sweats and hats.[16]

In November 2013, Custom Ink received $40 million from Revolution Growth, the investment fund run by Steve Case, Ted Leonsis, and Donn Davis.[17] The investment reportedly helped the growth of two new projects: Booster and Pear.[17] Booster[18] (later Custom Ink Fundraising) is a crowd-funding website where organizers design and sell T-shirts to raise money for different social causes.[19]

In 2019, Custom Ink's investors sold their shares for an undisclosed amount.[20]

In 2016, the company had 9 locations and around 1,670 employees.[21] The company’s name changed to the current form of Custom Ink in 2017.[22]

By 2020, Custom Ink provided customization services for more than 1,000 types of apparel and accessories.

During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, the company saw sales drop 80% in only a few days as people stopped planning reunions or in-person gatherings of any kind.[23] The company was forced to furlough around 75% of staff, but continued paying health insurance premiums for all, helped employees apply for unemployment benefits, and offered other support services.[24]

On January 3, 2023, Custom Ink fired 206 workers in Charlottesville, Virginia, and another 132 in Reno, Nevada.[25] Some workers were expected to move to open positions at Custom Ink’s Dallas facility; those who didn’t received separation packages that included three months of health benefits, job placement assistance, and between 10-20 weeks of pay dependent on tenure.[26][27] [28][29]

Acquisitions[edit]

On February 4, 2016, Custom Ink acquired the Los Angeles company Represent.com, which helps celebrities sell limited-run T-shirts and merchandise to fans and followers.[30][31][32] Represent was later acquired by Cameo in 2021.[33]

In 2019, Custom Ink purchased Sidestep, a website and mobile app that strictly sells concert merchandise. The acquisition was done through Custom Ink's at-the-time subsidiary Represent.[34]

In November 2021, the company purchased New York City-based Swag.com for an undisclosed amount.[35][36] Swag.com is an online design and ordering company for corporate swag and gifting.[37]

Two months later, in January 2022, the company acquired Printfection, a swag management platform.[3] Printfection's clients include Salesforce, HubSpot, and Zendesk.[38]

Locations[edit]

By April 2024, Custom Ink has 42 showroom locations across 15 states and Washington DC.

Awards[edit]

In 2014, Fortune and Great Place to Work ranked Custom Ink as one of their Top 100 places to work.[39]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Heath, Thomas (October 17, 2010). "Harvard graduate left Wall Street to start CustomInk T-shirt design business". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Washington Post Media. Retrieved April 21, 2014.
  2. ^ Murillo, Ana Lucia (December 10, 2021). "Custom Ink CEO says the company is back in growth mode after pandemic low. But supply challenges remain a sticking point". Washington Business Journal.
  3. ^ a b Ruvo, Christoper (January 7, 2022). "Custom Ink Acquires Printfection". www.asicentral.com. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  4. ^ "Custom Ink".
  5. ^ "Ink positive: With national ambitions, Custom Ink continues to grow". C-VILLE Weekly. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  6. ^ Lucia Murillo, Ana (January 19, 2023). "Merrifield's Custom Ink consolidates production operations, lays off hundreds". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  7. ^ Central, A. S. I. (January 7, 2022). "Custom Ink Acquires Printfection". members.asicentral.com. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  8. ^ Heath, Thomas. "Harvard graduate left Wall Street to start CustomInk T-shirt design business". Washington Post.
  9. ^ Heath, Thomas (October 17, 2010). "Thomas Heath - Harvard graduate left Wall Street to start CustomInk T-shirt design business". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  10. ^ Heath, Thomas (October 17, 2010). "Thomas Heath - Harvard graduate left Wall Street to start CustomInk T-shirt design business". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  11. ^ Heath, Thomas (October 17, 2010). "Thomas Heath - Harvard graduate left Wall Street to start CustomInk T-shirt design business". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  12. ^ "Ink positive: With national ambitions, Custom Ink continues to grow". C-VILLE Weekly. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  13. ^ Heath, Thomas (October 17, 2010). "Thomas Heath - Harvard graduate left Wall Street to start CustomInk T-shirt design business". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  14. ^ "Ink positive: With national ambitions, Custom Ink continues to grow". C-VILLE Weekly. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  15. ^ Adams, Susan. "CustomInk's Marc Katz and Father Steve Katz: Is Entrepreneurship Inherited?". Forbes. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  16. ^ "100 years of T-shirts: Fashion icon celebrates centennial - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. July 16, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  17. ^ a b Lawler, Ryan (November 12, 2013). "CustomInk Nabs $40 Million In Funding From Revolution Growth, Adds Ted Leonsis To Its Board". TechCrunch. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  18. ^ "What happened to Booster?". www.customink.com. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  19. ^ Castellanos, Sara (April 9, 2014). "Online crowdfunding site Booster lets users raise money for social causes". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
  20. ^ Gregg, Aaron; Heath, Thomas. "Private investors buy out shares of Custom Ink, which built a fortune on T-shirts". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  21. ^ "The 15 Best Workplaces in Retail". Fortune. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  22. ^ "Ink positive: With national ambitions, Custom Ink continues to grow". C-VILLE Weekly. Retrieved June 29, 2024.
  23. ^ Heath, Thomas (March 4, 2021). "Custom T-shirt maker saves its business with early pivot to masks". Washington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  24. ^ Heath, Thomas (March 4, 2021). "Custom T-shirt maker saves its business with early pivot to masks". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  25. ^ "Custom Ink closing production facilities in Charlottesville, Reno". www.cbs19news.com. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  26. ^ Hidalgo, Jason. "Custom Ink closing Reno and Charlottesville production facilities; 338 jobs affected". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  27. ^ Murillo, Ana Lucia (January 24, 2023). "Merrifield's Custom Ink consolidates production operations, lays off hundreds". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  28. ^ Staff, News (January 3, 2023). "Custom Ink closing production facilities in Charlottesville, Reno". CBS19 News, Charlottesville.
  29. ^ Hidalgo, Jason (January 3, 2023). "Custom Ink closing Reno and Charlottesville production facilities; 338 jobs affected". Reno Gazette Journal.
  30. ^ Heath, Thomas (February 4, 2016). "Washington-area T-shirt seller goes Hollywood". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  31. ^ Niedt, Bob (February 4, 2016). "CustomInk buys L.A.-based T-shirt firm with large roster of celebrity investors, customers". www.bizjournals.com/washington. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  32. ^ Tepper, Fitz (February 5, 2016). "CustomInk Acquires Represent, A Custom Merchandise Marketplace for Influencers". TechCrunch. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  33. ^ "Cameo Acquires Represent to Offer Celebrity Merch on Its Platform | Built In Chicago". Built In. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  34. ^ Ruvo, Christopher (September 23, 2019). "Custom Ink Subsidiary Acquires Music Merch Platform". www.asicentral.com. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  35. ^ Verdon, Joan. "Apparel Company Custom Ink Acquires Fast-Growing Digital Disruptor Swag.com". Forbes. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  36. ^ Schulte, Katherine (November 10, 2021). "Custom Ink acquires corporate swag platform". Virginia Business. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  37. ^ Schulte, Katherine (November 10, 2021). "Custom Ink acquires corporate swag platform". Virginia Business.
  38. ^ Central, A. S. I. (January 7, 2022). "Custom Ink Acquires Printfection". members.asicentral.com. Retrieved July 12, 2024.
  39. ^ "Custom Ink". Fortune. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
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