Carleigh Stillwagon’s world flipped upside down with a single injury. Fourteen years dedicated to elite gymnastics, a path she’d poured her heart into, abruptly ended. Then, a new challenge arrived – the stillness of lockdown. “I was going crazy,” she remembers, a restless energy building with nowhere to go.
A childhood memory sparked an idea. Her mother’s past embroidery business, a faint echo from her youth, resurfaced. “Let’s make shirts!” she declared, a simple phrase that ignited a remarkable journey. Alongside her fiancé, Carter Meade, and with occasional help from her mother, Carin Spinola, Elite Custom Apparel was born.
The initial setup was humble: a heat press in her dad’s basement. It was a start, a way to channel her drive. But the slow production and limited profits quickly revealed a need for change. She needed a way to scale, to truly build something lasting.
Driven by a relentless pursuit of quality, Carleigh sought a solution. She and Carter enrolled in a four-day screen-printing intensive, a complete immersion into a world they knew nothing about. It proved to be a pivotal moment. “It was the best investment we ever made,” she states, recalling the transformation from novice to confident entrepreneur.
Equipped with newfound knowledge and a business loan, they began to build a professional screen-printing operation. Carleigh, a perfectionist honed by years of athletic discipline, demanded precision in every print. She meticulously selected inks and mesh counts, understanding how each detail impacted the final product.
The difference between a heat press and a professional screen-printing press was immediately apparent. “You know that every design is going to be in the same place on every shirt,” she explains. The consistency, the accuracy – it was a level of control she hadn’t experienced before.
To further refine the process, they implemented a sophisticated registration system. This allowed for incredibly fast and accurate setup times, reducing wasted effort and maximizing efficiency. What once took hours could now be accomplished in minutes.
Flashing shirts between colors became seamless with a specialized unit, eliminating the risk of under or over-curing. It was a small detail, but one that spoke to Carleigh’s commitment to flawless results. Every step was carefully considered, optimized for quality and consistency.
The final touch was a conveyor dryer equipped with a “donut probe.” This innovative tool measured the ink temperature directly, ensuring each shirt was cured to perfection. It removed the guesswork, guaranteeing a durable and vibrant print every time.
From screen preparation to the final cure, every aspect of the process was meticulously refined. They invested in equipment that allowed for consistent coating, accurate exposure, and efficient screen cleaning. Laborious tasks were streamlined, freeing up time for creativity and growth.
The transformation was astonishing. What began as a hundred shirts a week, painstakingly heat-pressed, exploded into a hundred shirts *an hour* with the new screen-printing setup. The basement operation quickly outgrew its space, necessitating a move to a 2,200 square foot warehouse.
Orders swelled, ranging from small runs of 24 shirts to large contracts exceeding 600. Carleigh’s mother joined the team, and part-time help was added to manage the increasing demand. Elite Custom Apparel was no longer just a hobby; it was a thriving business.
Looking ahead, Carleigh envisions even greater expansion. An automatic printing press is already in the plans, alongside a larger drying cabinet and a wider conveyor dryer. She’s even exploring the possibilities of water-based inks, seeking to elevate the softness and intricacy of her designs.
“We have some big contracts in the works, and we want to make sure we’re ready for them,” she says, her voice filled with determination. Her ultimate dream? To build a dedicated facility and print thousands of shirts a day.
For Carleigh, the lessons learned through years of gymnastics – discipline, perseverance, and a relentless pursuit of perfection – proved invaluable. “Gymnastics gave me the skills and determination to start my own business,” she reflects. “You just need the heart and soul to make it work.”
