Threds was established in 1994 by University of Tennessee students, Kelby Shymlock and Keith Phillips. Originally, Threds was a trendy little retail store in a 900 square foot building that targeted high school and college age kids. In the beginning, Threds made a name for themselves selling Vintage Levis, a huge trend at the time. Threds also produced custom t-shirts. Initially, their custom screen printing capabilities were extremely limited, but they were able to produce small custom orders for a variety of small business.

By 1996 trends had changed and custom screen printing became Threds’ main focus. They quickly acquired a reputation for great artwork, quick turnarounds and outstanding customer service. Threds continued to increase capabilities to pursue larger accounts and handle more volume. Their first big break came when they landed the WIVK account, one of the largest country music stations in the USA. At which time, they went from doing a total of 300-500 shirts per week to up to 2,000 shirts per week.

As Threds clients became more diverse, so did their individual needs. So, by 1997 Threds had added embroidery and promotional products to their service offerings to meet these needs. And, in 2000 Threds acquired Adprints to become a full service promotional product company, with clients ranging from small groups and organizations to large corporate accounts.

Threds’ strong relationships with their customers pushed them to further evolve. And in 2002, Threds successfully added a sampling of fulfillment services to their list of client offerings. In addition to product development, warehousing, and handling customer service issues, Threds sets up Web sites for their clients geared to the retail customer, as well as, employees. And, they deliver products to over 68 countries.

Threds just came off their 12th consecutive year of growth in 2006 and the future is bright. Their success is attributed to their ability to evolve with their clients needs. From their humble beginning as a local 900 square foot retail store, they have grown into a 30,000 square foot facility with a plethora of product and service offerings, and clients in all parts of the country. Threds is thankful for their clients, big and small, who have been a part of their growth over the years. And, they look forward to the opportunity to continue to evolve and grow with their client for years to come.