This week we sat down with Parker Burr (’15), Owner of Promo Lacrosse, a custom sports uniform company.Â
Sarah: Can you tell us a little bit about Promo Lacrosse?
Parker: I started Promo in 2011 in my hometown Simsbury, CT. I was a senior in high school on the lacrosse team and I was in charge of coordinating the team’s apparel for the year. As I looked into what few option there were, I became really interested in the custom apparel business. “How does it work? Where does it come from? I can make cooler stuff than this!” With a lack of known companies in the area, and a genuine interest in the business, I started looking into how I could get something going. So I started making some pretty basic hats and shirts at local shops. I sold these mainly to my friends and family and they seemed to like them! As my senior year progressed I constantly looked into newer, better, more profitable apparel and apparel production. Going overseas was the answer.
Sarah: How did Promo Lacrosse get started?
Parker: I connected with a factory through hours of online research and I was told they could make some real uniforms for my company! So I wired some guy in China a few hundred dollars and two weeks later the first ever Promo shorts showed up. I had paid way too much and made little to no money, but it was a start! As I started my freshman year at UMass, I was determined to find a way to make some money doing this. I had some great overseas connections and I knew tons of lacrosse teams. So the answer was custom team apparel. In December 2011 Promo became a legal business registered in Connecticut. Over the next year I reached out to hundreds of teams and organizations that I knew, asking for any opportunity to make some custom apparel. I convinced roughly 75 teams to work with Promo that year. A year later in 2013, Promo now works with hundreds of teams, organizations, retailers and distributors coast to coast outfitting each with head to toe 100% custom apparel.
Sarah: Where do you want to take Promo Lacrosse?
Parker: Promo has evolved into a multisport custom apparel provider. This fall we launched our Soccer, Field Hockey, Football, Rugby, Basketball and casual wear lines. We built a revolutionary online application that makes custom apparel orders easier than ever before. We are in the works of getting our stock apparel lines retailed in stores throughout the US.
Sarah: What’s your next step?
Parker: I plan to build the business with two sides working in a symbiotic way. One side being retail, one side being custom apparel. As retail grows, custom apparel grows and vise versa. Our goal is to get our stock and custom apparel to retailers and consumers in the easiest, fastest way possible. We will never stray from the apparel business, and apparel will always be our only business. We want to become THE place that you think of when you think “custom apparel.”