What TS Designs, Inc. does

TS Designs, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned t-shirt manufacturer and printer headquartered in Burlington, North Carolina, operating since 1977 as a certified B Corporation under a triple bottom line (People, Planet, Profit) framework. The company manufactures and prints premium sustainable apparel — primarily t-shirts in its Cotton of the Carolinas, Cloud Organic, American, and Coastal Cotton brands — using 100% natural fibers (cotton, hemp, wool) at a fully domestic supply chain contained within 768 miles in North Carolina. Core proprietary technology includes REHANCE™, a water-based screen printing process that embeds designs into fabric prior to garment dyeing for a no-print feel; Affinity™, a patent-pending fabric treatment that reduces dyeing energy by 90% heat, 72% water, 67% energy, and 61% CO2; the WhereYourClothing.com transparency platform with QR code-level farm-to-garment traceability; and a 5,000 sq ft garment dyeing facility running Jeanologia's ColorBox equipment. The company sells to four primary streams: (1) custom B2B print orders via quote (REHANCE minimum 100 units, DTG minimum 12 units); (2) print-on-demand for 1-23 shirts and Shopify-integrated dropshipping; (3) retail through its Solid State Clothing e-commerce brand; and (4) custom garment dyeing and sustainability consulting. The company employs 11-50 staff (approximately 14 named across production, dye house, brand, and management) and operates without external institutional capital, funding growth from operating cash flow. Recent strategic moves have emphasized ecosystem expansion through the Know Your Clothing nonprofit (2024), dropshipping and custom store page services (2025-2026), and academic/technology partnerships with UNCG, Nature Coatings, and Croatan Institute.

Name

TS Designs, Inc.

Legal name

TS Designs Inc.

Website

https://tsdesigns.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TS Designs is a Burlington, NC-based sustainable t-shirt manufacturer and printer serving B2B brands, events, and direct consumers with domestically made, fully traceable apparel using proprietary REHANCE water-based screen printing, natural-fiber fabrics, and a 768-mile North Carolina supply chain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom T-Shirt Manufacturing & Printing: TS Designs manufactures and prints custom t-shirts for businesses, organizations, and events. Pricing is quote-based, varying by printing method (REHANCE screen print vs DTG), order quantity, number of print colors, and print locations. REHANCE screen printing has a minimum of 100 units (white) or 200 units (dyed). DTG printing has a minimum of 12 units (white) or 24 units (dyed).
2. Print on Demand: Direct-to-garment printing service for small orders of 1-23 shirts in black or white only. Customers upload artwork and receive printed shirts shipped within 3-5 business days. Also available as a Shopify-integrated dropshipping service with a minimum of 200 shirts and setup fee.
3. Retail T-Shirt Sales (Solid State Clothing): TS Designs sells premium retail t-shirts through its e-commerce storefront (tsdesigns.com/shop) and sister brand Solid State Clothing (solidstate.clothing). Products include graphic tees, blanks, color swatches, bundles, and specialty items at fixed retail prices.
4. Garment Dyeing Services: TS Designs offers custom garment dyeing services for natural fibers (cotton, wool, hemp) with natural threads. Minimum production weight of 60 lbs. Pricing is per-pound for dyeing and per-piece for handling. Also includes color matching and custom color development.
5. Sustainability Consulting: TS Designs offers consulting to other companies wanting to become more sustainable and transparent in their apparel manufacturing and supply chain practices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TS Designs manufactures and prints custom sustainable t-shirts for businesses, organizations, and consumers using a fully domestic, transparent supply chain based in North Carolina. The company operates four branded apparel lines (Cotton of the Carolinas, Cloud Organic, American, Coastal Cotton) made from natural fibers, and offers two proprietary printing methods—REHANCE™ water-based screen printing and Direct to Garment (DTG) printing—plus custom garment dyeing at its 5,000 sq ft Burlington, NC facility. It also sells premium retail apparel to consumers through the Solid State Clothing sub-brand.

Product overview

TS Designs operates as a t-shirt manufacturer offering a portfolio of sustainable apparel brands and manufacturing services. The core product lineup includes four branded t-shirt lines: Cotton of the Carolinas (flagship Dirt to Shirt™ brand with full farm-to-finish traceability), Cloud Organic (GOTS certified organic cotton), American (US-grown cotton), and Coastal Cotton (heavyweight US cotton). The company operates Solid State Clothing as its retail sub-brand offering small-batch premium shirts directly to consumers. Service offerings include two proprietary printing technologies—REHANCE™ water-based screen printing and Direct to Garment (DTG) printing—plus garment dyeing at its 5,000 sq ft NC facility. Fulfillment options span print-on-demand (1-23 shirts), dropshipping, and custom store pages. Supporting technology platforms include Where Your Clothing transparency tracking and the nonprofit Know Your Clothing initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cotton of the Carolinas: Flagship Dirt to Shirt brand with completely trackable supply chain from North Carolina cotton farmer to finished t-shirt. Features QR code traceability via WhereYourClothing.com.
• Cloud Organic
• American
• Coastal Cotton
• Solid State Clothing

Products and services

• Cotton of the Carolinas Flagship apparel brand featuring Dirt to Shirt™ manufacturing with a complete trackable domestic supply chain entirely within North Carolina (768 miles). Made from locally grown cotton with QR code traceability from farm to finished shirt for businesses, organizations, and consumers seeking verified US origin.
• Cloud Organic Medium weight t-shirt line made from 100% GOTS Certified Organic Cotton yarn, manufactured in the USA, available for custom printing and retail purchase.
• American Made in USA medium weight t-shirt line using 100% US-grown cotton, available with garment dyeing and REHANCE printing options.
• Coastal Cotton Heavy weight t-shirt line using 100% US-grown and ginned cotton with adherence to US sustainability standards for cotton cultivation.
• Solid State Clothing Retail brand of TS Designs offering small-batch, premium-quality t-shirts directly to consumers through its own e-commerce storefront, with full supply chain transparency and natural dye experiments.
• REHANCE™ Screen Printing Service Proprietary water-based screen printing service that embeds designs into fabric prior to garment dyeing. Produces a no-print feel that never cracks, peels, or fades, using inks free of PVC and phthalates. Minimum 100 units (white) or 200 units (dyed).
• Direct to Garment (DTG) Printing Service Digital printing service using water-based inks on cotton t-shirts with full color capability, suitable for small-volume orders. Minimum 12 units (white/undyed) or 24 units (dyed).
• Garment Dyeing Service Custom garment dyeing service for natural fibers (cotton, wool, hemp) at TS Designs' 5,000 sq ft dye house in Burlington, NC. Includes color matching, custom color development, swatch samples, and per-pound pricing with a 60 lb minimum production weight.
• Print on Demand Self-serve direct-to-garment printing for small orders of 1-23 shirts in black or white only. Tiered per-shirt pricing from $28 to $38 based on quantity, with 3-5 business day turnaround after payment.
• Dropshipping Service White-label dropshipping integration primarily through Shopify, allowing e-commerce merchants to sell TS Designs' made-in-USA t-shirts with direct-to-customer fulfillment and zero inventory risk. Minimum 200 shirts and setup fee required.
• Custom Store Pages White-label storefront service allowing businesses to sell branded t-shirts through a custom page on TS Designs' website with zero upfront inventory and print-on-demand fulfillment, with options for customer pickup or direct shipping.

Quantifiable outcome

• Supply chain travels 768 miles vs. 30,000+ miles for typical t-shirts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Croatan InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Croatan Institute serves as the fiscal sponsor for Know Your Clothing, a nonprofit initiative launched by TS Designs in 2024 with the mission to cultivate resilient apparel communities through circularity, transparency, and equity.
• Piedmont Agrarian Collaborative (PAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Piedmont Agrarian Collaborative was launched by Eric Henry and Joshua Humphreys of Pont Reading Farm to provide food from farmer to eater, bringing together small farms committed to regenerative farming practices. One pickup point is located at the TS Designs facility.
• Caffe Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaffe Inc. recovers resources from coffee by-products. TS Designs collaborated with Caffe Inc. to create organic cotton t-shirts dyed with spent coffee grounds. Caffe Inc.'s ambition is to sustainably process 10% of centralized used coffee grounds in the Netherlands.
• Nature CoatingscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTS Designs partnered with Nature Coatings to test BioBlack ink (bio-based pigment) against petroleum carbon black. Results showed BioBlack delivered the best performance, value, and sustainability. This marks TS Designs' first step in transitioning away from carbon black to bio-based black inks.
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTS Designs is collaborating with UNCG's Consumer, Apparel & Retail Studies Department to develop a virtual reality app that gives students immersive access to apparel supply chains. TS Designs documented its cotton harvest and supply chain on video for the project.
• Textile ExchangeminorOthersTS Designs is a member of Textile Exchange, a community of brands, suppliers and companies who come together to create a more sustainable and responsible fiber and materials industry.
• B Lab (B Corporation)coreOthersB Lab certifies TS Designs as a B Corporation. TS Designs was the second B-Corp certified company in North Carolina and the first apparel B Corp in the world (since 2008).
• Thurman Burleson and Sons FarmcoreOthersRonnie and Andrew Burleson of Thurman Burleson and Sons Farm in Richfield, NC grow the cotton used in the Cotton of the Carolinas t-shirt line. The farm is approximately 75 miles from the TS Designs facility.
• Rolling Hills GincoreOthersRolling Hills Gin, directed by Wes Morgan, processes cotton from local farms for use in TS Designs' domestic supply chain. TS Designs visited the gin as part of its collaboration with UNCG for VR content creation.
• Magnolia LoomminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMagnolia Loom is an apparel company as dedicated to domestic manufacturing and farming as TS Designs. Partnered on the Georgia Pocket T-Shirt made from cotton sourced from Warbington Farms in Cummings, Georgia.
• Burlington Beer WorksminorOthersFounded by TS Designs CEO Eric Henry, Burlington Beer Works is the first cooperative brewery and restaurant in North Carolina (10th in the US), opened in 2019 in downtown Burlington.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Known Supply: Apparel brand focused on transparent, ethical supply chains with named-maker disclosure — overlaps with TS Designs' WhereYourClothing.com transparency narrative and B-Corp-aligned mission.
• Royal Apparel: US-based manufacturer of organic and sustainable blank apparel, including t-shirts, with a comparable focus on natural fibers and Made-in-USA production. Closest direct competitor in the sustainable domestic blank t-shirt segment.
• Harvest & Mill: Organic cotton basics maker that designs, dyes, and sews entirely within the US — mirroring TS Designs' domestic-only supply chain model and natural-fiber positioning. Comparable brand storytelling and sustainability-mission customer base.
• CustomInk: Largest US custom apparel decorator for groups and businesses, offering screen printing, embroidery, and DTG on multiple blanks brands. Directly comparable on the B2B custom t-shirt printing motion TS Designs serves, though at much larger scale and broader brand selection.
• RushOrderTees: US-based custom t-shirt printing company offering screen printing, DTG, and embroidery with quick turnaround. Directly comparable on sales-led custom printing GTM for businesses, events, and organizations — TS Designs' primary B2B segment.
• Printful: Print-on-demand and dropshipping platform integrating with Shopify and other e-commerce stacks — directly comparable to TS Designs' new 2025-2026 dropshipping and custom store page services targeting zero-inventory merchants.
• Allmade Apparel: Sustainable blank apparel maker using organic cotton, recycled poly, and modal blends with screen-print-ready construction. Comparable in the sustainable-blank t-shirt category serving decorators and brands seeking ethical inputs.
• Printify: Print-on-demand marketplace and dropshipping platform with global fulfillment network and Shopify/WooCommerce integrations. Direct competitor in the same zero-inventory merchant segment targeted by TS Designs' new dropshipping service.

Broad incumbents

• Patagonia: Iconic sustainable apparel company and B-Corp with deep transparency commitments and domestic manufacturing capacity. Operates at much larger scale and broader category set (outerwear, sportswear, workwear), but competes for sustainability-mandated customers and shares the B-Corp positioning.
• Cimpress / Vistaprint: Mass-market custom printing and apparel platform serving SMBs and enterprises — addresses the same B2B custom-tees customer base as TS Designs but at vastly larger scale, with a broader portfolio of products beyond apparel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tsdesigns
• Facebookfacebook.com/TSDesignsNC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ts-designs
• Instagraminstagram.com/tsdesignsnc

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 TS Designs, Inc.