Route One Apparel acquired by MD-Brand

Listen to this article

Route One Apparel has been acquired and will operate under the umbrella of accessory distributor Maryland Brand Management Inc.

Under the new partnership, MD-Brand will oversee all operations, logistics and growth initiatives of Route One Apparel. The staff will be retained, but the company will move from the current headquarters in Towson to MD-Brand’s 75,000 square-foot location on Quad Avenue in Baltimore at a future date.

Route One Apparel Founder Ali von Paris will remain with the company in a new role of Chief Visionary Officer.

“I started this journey 15 years ago, in my college dorm room, selling one t-shirt online, and I never could have dreamed back then just how big Route One Apparel would become,” said Ali von Paris. “From securing licensing agreements with local, national, and even global brands; to moving into our own headquarters and hosting our own public sales events; to branching out into making custom products, I am extremely proud of all we’ve accomplished.”

Founded in 2010, Route One Apparel has grown to offer more than 3,000 unique products that express Maryland pride, as well as officially licensed designs for brands including Old Bay, National Bohemian, Utz, Domino Sugar, Morton Salt, the Washington Capitals, and more. In recent years, the company has also introduced custom product production and this new partnership with MD-Brand will enable Route One Apparel to produce a significantly greater variety of custom products in-house.

Established in 2006 with entities dating back to 1988, MD-Brand brings 35 years of manufacturing and importing experience to the deal. The family-owned apparel and accessory distributor has the largest screen printing and embroidery facility in the Baltimore area. The company is best recognized as the owner of Puppie Love, the dog-themed apparel brand that donates 10% of its net profits to animal shelters and rescue groups to support dog adoptions. Since its launch, the company has donated more than $800,000 to charities around the country. With the addition of Route One Apparel, MD-Brand now operates eight e-commerce stores out of its warehouse and provides merchandise to retail stores and other customers in all 50 states.

“We are honored and pleased to welcome Route One Apparel to the MD-Brand family of brands,” said Garrett Pfeifer, president, MD-Brand. “Ali and her team have built a wonderful company that is beloved by its customers and community.”