A worldwide recession hasn’t dampened the global love affair with the humble T-shirt. Garage bands, ultimate frisbee teams and would-be fashion designers are still creating funky, eclectic, one-of-a-kind clothes through Spreadshirt, an online supplier that creates its apparel for North American customers in Greensburg.
The brainchild of a German university student, Spreadshirt lets users upload their own designs for T-shirts and 100 other items, from baby blankets to messenger bags, to its site. Spreadshirt prints and ships the items for the customer, who can have the product shipped to them; users can also launch online partner shops with Spreadshirt, with orders filled remotely through the firm, and set their own commissions for merchandise sold through their sites. Over 500,000 users, from CNN to Chuck Norris fans, have set up the free shops to date. Forty percent of respondents to a 2008 poll told Spreadshirt that they receive no commissions from their shops, with most using them mainly as a vehicle to promote their own ideas or web sites.
In 2008, Spreadshirt saw 40 percent year-over-year growth in its operations in North America and Europe.
“We’re not a small company, so it’s not easy to grow that much,” says CEO Jana Eggers.
In February the firm closed on a €10 million investment from private equity firm Kennet Partners and ongoing investor Axel Partners. Eggers says the funding will allow Spreadshirt to add staff, online platform capabilities, and innovative messaging to urge users to think of Spreadshirt when they’re looking for unique and personalized gifts.
With 250 staffers worldwide, Spreadshirt’s Greensburg plant now has “about 50” base-level employees, with an annual boost during the Christmas season, Eggers says.
Source: Jana Eggers, Spreadshirt
Writer: Chris O’Toole
