Worx Printing

What Worx Printing does

Worx Printing Cooperative is a worker-owned union cooperative headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts, founded in 2014 by Kevin O'Brien as a successor to the earlier SweatX venture (2002-2004). The company operates a single unionized printing facility where every worker is a member of the United Steelworkers Union, applying digital printing techniques including direct-to-garment, screen-printing, and heat press, alongside thermal printing for fabric union labels. Its product surface spans bulk custom merchandise orders for events and campaigns, on-demand web stores for organizations to sell branded apparel without holding inventory, smaller "Swag Shop" landing pages for nonprofits (up to 3 SKUs, $300 setup), and exclusive supply of union labels for UNITE HERE and Workers United; its stores and client storefronts (e.g., Starbucks Workers United, Democracy at Work) are built on Shopify and the firm partners with Fii Marketing for union and USA-made product sourcing.

The company serves a sharply defined buyer profile: progressive political campaigns and parties (AOC, Biden/Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Working Families Party, Green Party, the 2024 DNC), labor unions and organizing committees (Starbucks Workers United, Amazon Labor Union, SAG-AFTRA, Writers Guild, Alphabet Workers Union, UNITE HERE), and mission-aligned nonprofits and advocacy groups (Malala Fund, Model Alliance, ACT UP NY, Common Defense, Democratic Socialists of America chapters, New Economy Coalition affiliates). Revenue mechanics combine transactional print-on-demand fulfillment, quote-based bulk order pricing with a live custom quote tool, and one-time setup fees for Swag Shops (with union organizing campaigns eligible for fee waivers). Distribution runs through shop.worxprinting.coop and shop.goodpress.coop alongside client-specific Shopify stores, with global shipping and a stated 7-day order-to-ship turnaround.

The business is privately held as a cooperative under Massachusetts law, is the exclusive union-label supplier for two major unions, and operates as a member of the New Economy Coalition, 1Worker1Vote, and the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives, with no external funding, parent company, or public financials; the firm has been featured in the 2023 book 'Humanity@Work&Life' as a case study in the Mondragon-style union co-op model.

Name

Worx Printing

Legal name

Worx Printing Cooperative

Website

https://worxprinting.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Worx Printing is a worker-owned union cooperative in Worcester, MA that provides print-on-demand and bulk custom apparel (t-shirts, hats) with union-made supply chains, serving progressive political campaigns, labor unions, and mission-aligned nonprofits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Apparel Printing

NAICS

Commercial Screen Printing (323113), Printing (32311), Printing and Related Support Activities (323)

SIC

Commercial Printing (2750), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Apparel Dyeing, Printing, Finishing & Laundries (CRAAAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Direct-to-Container & Digital Printing (Inkjet/Laser) (IMALAKAF)

Keywords

• Custom apparel printing
• Union merchandise production
• Print on demand services
• Screen printing services
• Branded promotional merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Worcester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Print-on-Demand Services: Organizations only get charged for printing after the sale is completed through their online stores. No upfront inventory costs. Revenue generated per transaction as items are sold.
2. Bulk Merchandise Orders: Large quantity orders for meetings, marches, events, and campaigns. Custom quotes based on style, quantity, and printing techniques. Fulfillment and shipping to multiple addresses included.
3. Swag Shop Setup: $300 setup fee for Swag Shops with up to 3 branded items. Organizations can select products from catalog. $180 setup fee for union organizing campaigns (may be waived for underfunded campaigns).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Worx Printing is a worker-owned union cooperative that produces custom branded merchandise through print-on-demand web stores, bulk orders for events and campaigns, and Small Swag Shops for smaller nonprofits. The company operates a unionized printing facility in Worcester, MA, handling design submission, printing, fulfillment, and shipping for labor unions, political campaigns, and progressive nonprofit organizations. All products are USA-made and union-printed, with exclusive supplier relationships for UNITE HERE and Workers United union labels.

Product overview

Worx Printing is a worker-owned union cooperative offering print-on-demand custom merchandise production. Their core offerings include On Demand Stores (web-based print-on-demand shops built on Shopify), Bulk Orders for large quantities, Order Fulfillment services, and Printing Techniques (screen-printing, DTG, heat press). Supporting services include Union Labels (exclusive supplier for UNITE HERE and Workers United), Swag Shops for smaller nonprofits (up to 3 items, $300 setup), and a Custom Quote Tool. All products are USA-made and union-printed with ethical labor standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Good Press: A blog/newsletter platform covering stories about progressive movements, labor rights, and union cooperative news.

Products and services

• On Demand Stores Print-on-demand web stores that allow organizations to create and sell custom branded merchandise without the financial risk of unsold inventory. Products are printed only after sale is completed and shipped within 7 days. Stores can be embedded within any CMS platform for organizations serving their supporters.
• Bulk Orders Large quantity custom printing for meetings, marches, events, campaigns, and album release parties. Includes fulfillment and shipping to multiple addresses with custom quotes based on style, quantity, and printing techniques.
• Order Fulfillment Touchless order fulfillment service handling printing, packing, and shipping directly to supporters or customers. Eliminates the hassle of inventory management for client organizations.
• Union Labels Union-made labels sewn into merchandise using thermal printing on fabric labels to certify products are manufactured with union labor. Worx is the exclusive supplier of union labels for UNITE HERE and Workers United.
• Small Swag Shops for Nonprofits Online stores for smaller nonprofit organizations offering up to 3 types of custom branded swag from the Worx catalog. Worx sets up a custom landing page and handles 100% of store operations, with branded swag shipped directly to supporters. Setup fee is $300 for 3 items.
• Good Press Online Stores Online store platform for nonprofit fundraising under the Good Press brand, supporting nonprofit organizations with custom branded merchandise stores for donor engagement and fundraising.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7-day turnaround from order to shipment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fii MarketingcoreTechnology or IntegrationWorx's print-on-demand partner providing union and USA-made merchandise. Fii Marketing has over four decades of experience serving labor unions, progressive campaigns, and nonprofits. They are also a USW union member and Worx's exclusive union print-on-demand partner.
• United Steelworkers UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvery person at Worx is a member of the United Steelworkers Union. The USW revived the modern union co-operative movement in the US. The union is a vital partner in Worx's commitment to civil, human, and workers' rights.
• UNITE HEREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorx is the exclusive supplier of union labels for UNITE HERE. The cooperative prints products that reflect values with the highest ethical standards using union labor.
• Workers UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorx is the exclusive supplier of union labels for Workers United. Supports union labeling efforts for ethical manufacturing.
• New Economy CoalitioncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNew Economy Coalition joined with Worx to offer all members a free swag shop as part of member benefits. NEC includes over 200 organizations building the solidarity economy in the U.S.
• 1Worker1VoteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorx supports the co-op movement through 1Worker1Vote, a national network helping share union co-op templates and experiments that work.
• US Federation of Worker CooperativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorx supports the cooperative movement through the USFWC, which launched the Union Co-ops Council and Democracy at Work Institute.
• Co-Op CincyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCincinnati-based cooperative network and model of what the co-op movement can accomplish. First group in US to bring Mondragon Steelworkers agreement to life.
• Democracy at WorkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDemocracy at Work is a Worx client with an on-demand printing store. They produce podcasts about workplace democracy and co-ops.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Bonfire:

Emerging players

• Designhill: Designhill is a crowdsourced design and custom-print platform offering apparel, accessories, and print products for SMBs and creators. Adjacent to Worx on the custom-merch proposition, more design-discovery oriented and lacking Worx's union co-op narrative.

Direct peers

• Underground Printing: Underground Printing is a union-friendly custom apparel decorator with multiple production facilities serving colleges, organizations, and brands. Comparable to Worx on production techniques and a similar mix of group/organization customers, with greater geographic scale.
• Printify: Printify is a print-on-demand marketplace connecting merchants with a global network of printing facilities for apparel and accessories. Comparable to Worx on the print-on-demand ecommerce model, though Printify targets mainstream ecommerce sellers rather than mission-driven organizations.
• RushOrderTees: RushOrderTees is a U.S.-based custom apparel printer specializing in fast-turnaround screen printing, embroidery, and DTG for groups and events. Closely comparable to Worx's bulk-order business for unions, campaigns, and events, with similar turnaround-centric positioning.
• Printful: Printful is a leading print-on-demand apparel and accessories platform with screen printing, DTG, embroidery, and fulfillment for ecommerce brands. Comparable to Worx's on-demand web store and fulfillment model, though Printful serves mainstream commercial customers rather than a values-driven union/cooperative niche.
• Scalable Press: Scalable Press is a U.S.-based print-on-demand and bulk apparel decorator offering screen printing, DTG, and embroidery with ecommerce integration. Comparable to Worx on production techniques and direct-to-organization fulfillment, though without the union-label mission.

Broad incumbents

• 4imprint: 4imprint is a large North American promotional products and custom apparel distributor serving businesses, nonprofits, and organizations. Comparable to Worx on the bulk promotional-merch model for organizations and events, with much broader catalog and scale.
• Custom Ink: Custom Ink is a large U.S. custom apparel and accessories printer serving groups, teams, businesses, and nonprofits with screen printing, embroidery, and DTG. Comparable to Worx as a custom-garment decoration platform serving organizations and event-driven buyers, though significantly larger and not mission-aligned.
• Vistaprint: Vistaprint is a large established printing and marketing services platform serving small businesses with custom apparel, signage, and print collateral. Broadly comparable to Worx on the custom-print ecommerce proposition, but with vastly greater scale and a commercial SMB customer base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/WorXPrinting
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@worxprinting6103
• Facebookfacebook.com/worxprintingcoop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/worx-printing-cooperative
• Instagraminstagram.com/worxprinting

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Worx Printing