Our Story

AM Custom Printing was founded in 2015 by Alex and Jennifer Ruth, this mother/son team started the business as a way to launch Alex’s visual artwork as a clothing line and as a way to make a living working from home. In highschool Alex was always interested in creating original works of art, and developing his own style as a visual artist. For years Alex developed a body of work and built on his individual style as an artist.

As technology improved and the ability to manufacture your own clothing and products became available, Alex and Jennifer began discussing the possibilities of Alex starting his own business and producing merchandise that featured his artwork as a way to earn income as an artist. Coming from a background in corporate sales and graphic design, Jennifer would manage the sales and leads and Alex could focus on the products and production.

After a significant investment in high end, industrial printers and equipment, they decided to register the business and make it legitimate. They began producing clothing and apparel with Alex’s artwork on it, selling it to close friends and family. Once word got out that the Ruth family could produce clothing and promotional products, Alex and Jennifer began getting requests from individuals for one off items. Before long, they were getting orders from a wide variety of customers, all looking for high quality, custom products with a creative edge. It became apparent that they had a business here that exceeded what they had first envisioned. I was clear that there was a need to be able to service short-run merchandise in Simcoe County and provide people with quality print products made locally.

Initially offering simple things like t-shirts and sweaters, AM Custom Printing began expanding into other merchandise, building relationships with vendors, suppliers, manufacturers and distributors across the globe. This proved to be a difficult process, because the goal had always been to maintain a boutique no order minimum, which can be difficult to keep costs low due to setup fees, and order minimums from their respective partners. However through diligence and trial and error they’ve been able to set up long lasting relationships with key partners that have enabled them to provide custom merchandise with no minimum order at a price point that is profitable and competitive.

Over the past 5 years, the business has grown into a family owned custom print shop that’s worked with hundreds of local schools, sports teams, artists and businesses. They are now able to offer almost any type of printing onto almost any material or product. Seeing the company grow from an artistic outlet, into a robust print house has been deeply fulfilling for Alex and Jennifer, and they plan on continuing to expand into new markets, develop their brand awareness and increase production so that they can grow their business for the next 5 years. Their hope is that they can continue to adapt and pivot as the industry changes and stay ahead of the curve through client retention, loyalty and staying true to their unique niche and a custom print shop.