Waukegan’s American Outfitters Ltd. is celebrating a milestone this year: 40 years in business.
Brothers Gary and Larry Rettig began selling custom apparel in 1975 and have since grown the company to sell nearly 1 million types of promotional products to 10,000 customers.
“Simply stated, we do anything with a custom logo on it,” Gary said. “We specialize in apparel at this place here, but we also do signage, vehicle graphics, anything from the tchotchke type things — pens and pencils — any kind of promotional items.”
American Outfitters makes screen-printed, digital-printed and embroidered apparel in its 30,000-square-foot facility, 3700 Sunset Ave. The company’s graphic arts department helps create designs for apparel and signs, and sends it to the neighboring production room where employees turn the ideas into products.
The company typically fills 1,500 to 1,600 orders per month, but expects to fill about 2,000 orders with the school year approaching.
Larry said he’s enjoyed watching the business grow from two employees to 65 employees, something the pair never imagined would happen when they set out in 1975.
“It wasn’t ever a dream,” Gary said. “It started out just to make a few extra bucks. I don’t know, it just happened. It wasn’t like it just happened on it’s own — we made it happen.”
It all started when the two brothers decided to buy a heat printing press so they could make shirts for their sports’ teams instead of ordering them. Later, they started printing for Waukegan’s Grand Sporting Goods and “pretty much the rest is history after that,” Gary said.
The Rettigs started the business out of a basement before upgrading to Larry’s garage. As the company grew, they required more space and ultimately landed on the 6-acre Sunset Avenue property.
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The brothers, however, said they may expand even more.
Among the 65-strong staff is Gary’s wife and two sons.
“With the amount of hours you put into owning your own business, a lot of the time you just won’t see your family, but they’re right here with me,” Gary said.
Larry added that there are difficult aspects to working with family, but there are also many good points. One of those has been watching Gary’s sons, Doug and David, prepare to take over the business when Larry and Gary retire.
“To see the two boys do what they’ve done is great,” Larry said.
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