Smooth Sportswear

What Smooth Sportswear does

Smooth Sportswear (operating as Smooth USA and legally Smooth Sportswear LLC) is a school-focused apparel and graduation products manufacturer founded in 2006 by co-owners Derek Kurtz and Joel Iskowitz and headquartered at 145 Saw Mill River Road in Yonkers, NY. The company supplies graduation caps, gowns, tassels, diploma cases, yearbooks (with HP Reveal AR and QR code integrations), school uniforms, spiritwear, and promotional items to K-12 public, charter, and private schools, and reports serving over 600 schools annually, with concentrated penetration in the NYC Department of Education — the largest U.S. school district — via the FAMIS purchase order system and expanding presence in Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.

Name

Smooth Sportswear

Legal name

Smooth Sportswear LLC

Website

https://smoothusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smooth Sportswear (Smooth USA) is a Yonkers, NY-based manufacturer and supplier of graduation caps and gowns, yearbooks, school uniforms, and spiritwear serving 600+ K-12 schools annually across the NYC metropolitan area and Philadelphia/Southern NJ region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

School Apparel & Graduation Supplies

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers (4591), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAMACAK

Sportswear Customization & Printing Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail

SECONDARYCRAAAHAE

School Uniforms (Children)

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Children’s & Baby Apparel

SECONDARYCRAMACAJ

Team & School Athletic Uniforms Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail

SECONDARYCRAMABAE

Team Sports Equipment & Uniforms Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Sporting Goods Generalist Retail

SECONDARYCRAGAGAH

Uniforms & Workwear Specialty Department Stores

Consumer Products & Retail/General Merchandise & Department Stores/Junior / Specialty Department Stores

SECONDARYCRALABAF

School Supplies Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Specialty Retail (Hobby, Books, Office, Pet, Toys)/Office Supplies & Stationery Retail

Keywords

• School apparel
• Graduation supplies
• Yearbook printing
• Custom spiritwear
• School uniforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Yonkers

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Graduation Products: Caps, gowns, tassels, diploma cases, autograph books, cords, stoles, and accessories for graduation ceremonies. Revenue is transaction-based with schools placing orders for their graduating classes, typically on an annual cycle with deadlines in mid-March.
2. Yearbooks: Hardcover and softcover yearbooks with various upgrades including foil covers, debossing/embossing, die-cut features, year-in-review pages, colored end sheets, and book personalization. Schools submit completed books approximately one month before desired delivery.
3. School Uniforms: Bulk uniform orders (polos, oxfords, sweaters, fleece, gym wear) sold to schools for individual student purchase. Also includes website/storefront program for direct family ordering.
4. Apparel and Spiritwear: T-shirts, hoodies, jackets, sweats, shorts customized with school branding for events, field days, senior activities, and spirit wear. Products sourced from major brands including Gildan, Bella, Port Authority.
5. Promotional Items: Customized promotional items with school logos for branding throughout school facilities and events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Smooth Sportswear manufactures and supplies customized apparel and graduation products to K-12 schools, including caps, gowns, tassels, diploma cases, yearbooks (hardcover and softcover), school uniforms, and spiritwear. The company operates an in-house art/design department, screen printing and embroidery production, and offers a website storefront program for schools to enable family-direct ordering. They serve primarily public and charter schools in the NYC metropolitan area and Philadelphia/Southern NJ, with a focus on one-stop-shop graduation, yearbook, and apparel needs.

Product overview

Smooth Sportswear is a school-focused apparel and graduation supplies company offering a portfolio of interconnected products and services. The core offerings include Graduation Products (caps, gowns, tassels, diploma cases, cords, stoles), Yearbooks (hardcover and softcover with customization options), School Uniforms (polos, oxfords, sweaters, gym wear via bulk or website store programs), and Apparel & Spiritwear (t-shirts, hoodies, jackets). Supporting services include a Design Studio for custom artwork creation and Website Store Program for school-specific online ordering. The company also offers yearbook technology add-ons (HP Reveal, QR codes) and premium upgrades (foil covers, embossing). All products are designed for schools and organizations in the New York City area and beyond.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Graduation Products Custom graduation apparel and accessories including caps, gowns, tassels, diploma cases, autograph books, cords, stoles, and ceremony accessories produced for K-12 schools. Schools place orders on an annual cycle with mid-March deadlines and orders are based on student measurements.
• Yearbooks Signature hardcover and softcover school yearbooks with professional binding, 100-lb paper, custom covers, and optional upgrades including foil covers, debossing/embossing, die-cut features, year-in-review pages, colored end sheets, and book personalization. HP Reveal AR and QR code integrations allow digital content to be accessed via smartphone scanning. Books are delivered approximately one month after completed submission.
• School Uniforms School uniform programs offering polos, oxfords, sweaters, fleece, and gym wear across various price points. Available via bulk ordering shipped directly to schools for individual student fulfillment or via the school's branded website storefront for direct family ordering.
• Apparel & Spiritwear Customizable school-branded apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, fleece, sweatpants, and shorts featuring school logos and branding for events, spirit days, field days, and senior activities. Products sourced from major brands including Gildan, Bella, and Port Authority. Standard production turnaround is 12-14 business days plus 2 business days for delivery, with a 24-piece minimum for most designs.
• Design Studio In-house art and design service where the creative team helps customers create custom artwork, branding, and proofs for their school apparel, yearbook, graduation, and merchandise projects.
• Website Store Program Qualification-based online ordering storefront built for individual schools, allowing families and students to purchase uniforms, spiritwear, senior hoodies, and yearbook items directly through a school-branded website.
• Yearbook Upgrades Premium yearbook enhancements including foil covers, debossing/embossing, die-cut features, year-in-review pages, printed end sheets, and book personalization, along with HP Reveal AR and QR code integrations that link to digital multimedia content.
• Senior Swag Custom senior class merchandise such as hoodies, apparel, and branded items representing class spirit for end-of-year celebrations and graduation activities.
• Promotional Items Customized promotional items with school logos and branding sourced through the Alpha Broder catalog, used for branding throughout school facilities and events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 600+ schools annually with caps and gowns
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SanmarcoreOthersPrimary supplier and catalog partner for apparel products including Gildan, Bella, and Port Authority brands. Smooth links to Sanmar's product catalog for item sourcing.
• Alpha BroderminorOthersSupplier of promotional products catalog, referenced for viewing additional customized promotional items.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jostens: National leader in graduation caps and gowns, yearbooks, and class rings. Direct competitor to Smooth's graduation and yearbook product lines across K–12 schools, with deeper catalog and national footprint.
• Balfour: Specializes in yearbooks, class rings, graduation products, and collegiate apparel. Directly comparable to Smooth's yearbook and graduation offerings with similar target customer (school administrators).
• Varsity Brands: Owner of BSN SPORTS and multiple school spiritwear brands, providing customized apparel and team uniforms to K–12 schools. Directly competes with Smooth's spiritwear and school uniform business at scale.
• Herff Jones: Major national provider of graduation regalia, yearbooks, and class rings. Competes directly with Smooth for cap & gown and yearbook contracts at the high school level.

Broad incumbents

• School Specialty: Major distributor of school supplies, classroom furniture, and educational products. Adjacent to Smooth's promotional items and school spiritwear categories as a broader K–12 supplier.
• Lands' End School Uniforms: Established national school uniform program with broad catalog and school-specific online stores. Competes with Smooth's uniform and website storefront offerings, but as part of a broader apparel portfolio rather than a school-specialist.
• Tommy Hilfiger School Uniforms: Premium branded school uniform program targeting K–12 schools with polos, oxfords, and sweaters. Operates in the same school uniform vertical as Smooth but at a higher price point and with stronger consumer brand recognition.

Emerging players

• Champion Teamwear: Custom decorated athletic apparel and team uniforms for schools and organizations. Comparable to Smooth's spiritwear and screen-printing services but with stronger focus on athletic/team categories.
• YearbookLife / Walsworth Publishing: Mid-size yearbook printing and publishing specialist serving K–12 schools. Competes with Smooth in the yearbook category specifically, often with stronger digital layout tools.

Others

• SanMar: Wholesale apparel supplier and catalog partner referenced by Smooth on its own website as the primary product source. Functions as a key supplier rather than competitor, but is the dominant wholesale distributor for the same school-customization ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SmoothUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmoothUSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smooth-sportswear
• Instagraminstagram.com/smoothusa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Smooth Sportswear