MerchDirect Rocks the Music Decorated Apparel Niche

June 19, 2008

MerchDirect's co-owner Justin Beck is a member of the band Glassjaw. Shown here is one of Glassjaw's sweatshirts that fans can purchase from MerchDirect.

It's not always easy to turn your passion into a profitable business. But Justin Beck, co-owner of MerchDirect, Bay Shore, N.Y., did just that.

Beck and his business partner, Lee Tepper, specialize in producing decorated apparel for the music industry. Beck is in the alternative band Glassjaw from Long Island, N.Y., while Tepper has a background in computers. In 1998, the two set up a decorated apparel business, and realizing that only big bands have access to the type of personalized apparel MerchDirect sells, began catering to the music industry.

Most of their business comes from word-of-mouth marketing through the entertainment industry, and clients include such names as Joss Stone and My Chemical Romance. When a band goes on tour, MerchDirect will send goods to the venue or along with the band. The company also has an online store where fans can purchase decorated apparel emblazoned with a music group's logo.

The company has an art team on staff, which designs approximately 75% of the artwork, while the rest is supplied by clients. Beck and Tepper are proud of the art team that has been nominated for Grammy's for designing bands' artwork and branding. Beck notes that a significant amount of time is spent educating clients. "When artists develop a line, they want everything under the sun," he says. "We help them lean in the right direction — as far as quality and quantity — and create a good product that makes money. We have to show them that they can't sell a $30 T-shirt for $10."

MerchDirect owns a 40,000-square-foot facility, which holds its eight-head embroidery machine and five automatic screen printing machines with oversize capabilities. It also offers custom cut-and-sew blanks. The staff is always prepared to run extra shifts to complete large orders on time. Beck says that his company's hands-on approach is unusual in the music industry. "A lot of people who deal with bands are brokers," he says. "We actually do the work." — Liz Aull

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