On The Limit
On The Limit is a Duluth, Minnesota-based custom screen printing, embroidery, and apparel decoration business founded in 1987, serving local SMBs, schools, government agencies, healthcare facilities, and corporate accounts across the Northland region through a storefront and Shopify-based dedicated client portals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersDuluth, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What On The Limit does
On The Limit is a privately held custom screen printing and embroidery service business founded in 1987 and headquartered at 2224 W. Superior St. in Duluth, Minnesota's Lincoln Park Craft District. The company provides three core services — screen printing (up to 8 colors per imprint with custom Pantone color matching), embroidery (up to 12 thread colors with professional digitizing), and in-house art and design services — applied to apparel, bags, hats, and accessories sourced through major wholesale suppliers including SanMar, S&S Activewear, One Stop, Bayside, and Royal Apparel. It also sources Made-in-USA options via Bayside and Royal Apparel for domestic-manufacturing client requirements. Its product surface spans t-shirts, hoodies, polos, jackets, tactical wear, scrubs, leather patches, keychains, and other promotional goods.
The company operates a hybrid distribution model combining a walk-in retail storefront (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm) with a Shopify-based e-commerce platform that hosts dedicated, often passcode-protected ordering portals for each institutional client. Pricing is unit-based with volume discounts, a $25 minimum charge on screen printing orders under 12 pieces, and stitch-based pricing for embroidery. Its customer base is concentrated in the Duluth/Northland region and spans local SMBs, schools (e.g., Cooper Elementary), government and public safety agencies (e.g., Duluth and Superior Fire Departments, 148th Civil Engineer Squadron), healthcare facilities (Duluth Health Services, VitaCare Living), corporate accounts (JBW Consulting Engineers, Summit Management, First Strike Safety), and community organizations (218 Fishing, Frost River).
On The Limit was acquired in 2021 by Christian Benson, owner of Duluth-based manufacturer Superior TECH, joining sister companies Frost River and UllrTec within a diversified manufacturing portfolio. The acquisition enabled cross-promotion with Frost River and shared sourcing infrastructure. Revenue is generated through per-order decoration fees and custom apparel sales; no revenue, funding, or valuation figures are publicly disclosed. The firm operates with 11-50 employees and continues to emphasize its local Duluth roots, multi-generational customer relationships, and community involvement as core value propositions.
On The Limit firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- On The Limit
- Legal name
- On The Limit
- Website
- https://otlduluth.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- On The Limit is a Duluth, Minnesota-based custom screen printing, embroidery, and apparel decoration business founded in 1987, serving local SMBs, schools, government agencies, healthcare facilities, and corporate accounts across the Northland region through a storefront and Shopify-based dedicated client portals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
On The Limit industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Apparel Decoration Services
- NAICS
- Apparel Manufacturing (315), Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments (2320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Uniform Programs for Small Businesses (Branded/Apparel Management) (HSAJAMAF)
Keywords
Where On The Limit is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Duluth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
On The Limit business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Screen Printing Services: Custom screen printing on garments, bags and accessories using stencils to transfer ink onto fabric. Pricing based on quantity, number of colors, and number of print locations. No minimum order quantity, with $25 charge for orders under 12 pieces.
- Embroidery Services: Professional embroidery decoration with pricing based on number of stitches in the design (up to 12 colors). $25 minimum order size. Includes digitizing fees for new designs and physical sample approval process.
- Design Services: Art and design services ranging from small tweaks to existing designs to creating art from the ground up. Tier-based pricing structure. No fees for every revision approach.
- Custom Apparel Sales: Sale of decorated custom apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, hats, and accessories through online ordering portals and physical storefront.
- Promotional Products: Sourcing and decoration of various promotional goods including leather patches and keychains, leveraging supplier relationships with major brands.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Screen printing - volume-based pricing |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Embroidery - stitch-based pricing |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Design services - project scope tiers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom apparel - per item pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
On The Limit product offering
Product offeringCore offering
On The Limit is a custom apparel decoration business based in Duluth, MN that provides screen printing, embroidery, and art & design services for businesses, schools, government agencies, healthcare organizations, and individual walk-in customers. The company operates a physical storefront and dedicated online ordering portals for corporate clients, decorating apparel blanks sourced from major suppliers such as SanMar and S&S Activewear.
Product overview
On The Limit is a screen printing and embroidery service business offering three core services: Screen Printing (custom ink transfer on fabric supporting up to 8 colors with Pantone matching), Embroidery (professional digitizing and stitching supporting up to 12 thread colors), and Art & Design Services (custom logo and graphic design from minor tweaks to full concept creation). The company also offers tackle twill decoration combining fabric and embroidery for added dimension. Products include a wide range of branded apparel and merchandise sourced from major brands like Nike, Carhartt, Columbia, The North Face, Dickies, Champion, Adidas, and Eddie Bauer. They provide online ordering portal capabilities for businesses, schools, and organizations to order custom products through personalized shoppable collections on their Shopify-based website.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Screen Printing
Quantifiable outcome
- Most successful apparel launch for Frost River
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use On The Limit
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
On The Limit technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
On The Limit partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Frost RivercoreFrost River is a sister company under Superior TECH's portfolio. On The Limit produces screen printed apparel for Frost River, including successful collections featuring topo line designs. Frost River sells On The Limit decorated merchandise in their physical store and online. Located just blocks east of On The Limit's facility in the Lincoln Park Craft District.
- S&S ActivewearminorMajor apparel supplier catalog integrated into On The Limit's sourcing options. Provides brands including Dickies, Adidas, Columbia, Richardson, Comfort Colors, American Apparel, Jerzees, and Gildan.
- SanMarminorMajor wholesale imprintable apparel supplier providing brands including Carhartt, The North Face, Nike, Champion, Eddie Bauer, New Era, OGIO, Hanes, Port Authority, District Made, and Bella Canvas.
- One StopminorImprintable apparel supplier catalog integrated into product sourcing options.
- Bayside ApparelminorUS-sourced brand partner specializing in domestic manufacturing. On The Limit sources cotton blend t-shirts from Bayside for Made in USA customer requirements, as used in Frost River client project.
- Royal ApparelminorUS-sourced brand partner for domestic manufacturing options.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
On The Limit competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rush Order Tees: Rush Order Tees is an online custom screen printing and embroidery provider specializing in fast-turnaround decorated apparel for businesses and groups. Directly comparable to OTL's core screen printing and embroidery service offering.
- Underground Printing: Underground Printing is a custom apparel and screen printing company with physical locations and online ordering serving universities, businesses, and organizations. Comparable to OTL in offering screen printing, embroidery, and dedicated organizational stores.
- Spreadshirt: Spreadshirt operates a custom apparel platform where individuals and organizations create and sell decorated apparel. Directly comparable to OTL's customized apparel and dedicated organizational store model.
- Custom Ink: Custom Ink is a leading online custom apparel and screen printing/embroidery company serving groups, teams, businesses, and organizations. It is the most direct large-scale competitor in custom-decorated apparel and operates an analogous B2B service model.
Broad incumbents
- Vistaprint: Vistaprint (Cimpress) is a broad custom printing platform offering business cards, signage, apparel, and promotional products at scale. A larger incumbent with overlapping custom apparel capabilities but a much wider portfolio.
- 4imprint: 4imprint is one of the largest distributors of promotional products including decorated apparel in North America. Comparable to OTL in promotional products and decorated apparel but operates at significantly larger scale and broader category scope.
Others
- Stahls': Stahls' provides heat printing, embroidery, and apparel decoration equipment, supplies, and services to the garment decoration industry. An enabling/ecosystem participant that supplies tools and materials to screen printers and embroiderers like OTL.
- SanMar: SanMar is a major wholesale supplier of imprintable apparel and accessories to the decoration industry (Carhartt, Nike, Eddie Bauer, etc.). Functions as an upstream supplier to OTL rather than a direct competitor.
- S&S Activewear: S&S Activewear is a leading wholesale distributor of imprintable apparel serving screen printers and embroiderers. An upstream supplier and ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor to OTL.
Emerging players
- Printful: Printful is a print-on-demand apparel decoration and fulfillment platform serving e-commerce businesses. An emerging digital-native peer that competes on screen printing/embroidery fulfillment with no minimums and nationwide reach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
On The Limit social profiles
Digital presenceOn The Limit financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
On The Limit leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
On The Limit funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
On The Limit M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about On The Limit
What does On The Limit do?
On The Limit is a custom apparel decoration business based in Duluth, MN that provides screen printing, embroidery, and art & design services for businesses, schools, government agencies, healthcare organizations, and individual walk-in customers. The company operates a physical storefront and dedicated online ordering portals for corporate clients, decorating apparel blanks sourced from major suppliers such as SanMar and S&S Activewear.
Is On The Limit a public or private company?
On The Limit is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was On The Limit founded?
On The Limit was founded in 1987. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is On The Limit based?
On The Limit is headquartered in Duluth, United States, in the North America region.
How does On The Limit make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Screen Printing Services are the primary driver. The others are embroidery Services, design Services, custom Apparel Sales and promotional Products.
Who are On The Limit's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rush Order Tees, Underground Printing, Spreadshirt and Custom Ink. Broad incumbents are Vistaprint and 4imprint. Others are Stahls', SanMar and S&S Activewear. Printful is listed as an emerging player.
Does On The Limit have an API?
No public API is recorded for On The Limit.
What industry is On The Limit in?
On The Limit's product category is Custom Apparel Decoration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAJAMAF, Uniform Programs for Small Businesses (Branded/Apparel Management). Its NAICS code is 315 and its SIC code is 5130.