The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Showing community pride at Szabo Apparel
Szabo Apparel owner uses his passion for art
After spending years in the U.S. Marine Corps and working for Vermilion, Brian Szabo followed passion for art.
After spending a handful of years in the U.S. Marine Corps and 15 working for the city of Vermilion, Brian Szabo decided to put his passion for art first.
“I enjoyed my time with the city, but I was just at the age where I felt like I could take a chance and start a business on my own and do something I really, really enjoyed,” he said. “I’m very happy I did.”
Prioritizing that love for design came in the form of opening his own clothing design shop, Szabo Apparel Co., in the heart of Vermilion’s downtown at 5571 Liberty Ave.
Over the past two and a half years Szabo has been in business, he said his focus started on designing and supporting local schools to crafting various designs for Cleveland sports teams, especially the Cleveland Browns.
“I probably like the Cleveland sports stuff the best, as far as what I enjoy designing,” Szabo said.
How it started
Szabo said he served for the Marine Corps from 1993 to 1998, then spent a bulk of his career working at Vermilion’s waste water plant.
During that time, he was also a coach for youth football in the area, and helped create designs for fundraising opportunities for the program.
After other people in the program nudged him to start his own business, Szabo took time to focus on artistic ventures while he was off of work after surgery.
“While I was waiting to be medically cleared, I focused more on this kind of stuff, and by the time I was clear to go back, I thought I could make a go of it,” he said. “So I quit the city and started this full time.”
Now, his work in design still involves helping out with local fundraisers and community projects, with Szabo even working with some previous and current Browns players for different causes.
He said he is currently working with punter Jamie Gillan and former Browns and current Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Joe Schobert on design projects.
“There’s a couple more, but I can’t say them yet, because it’s not official yet,” Szabo said.
For the project he’s working on with Gillan, Szabo said proceeds from clothing sales benefit the Wounded Warrior Project.
“That was one of the main things I wanted to do, and this allows me a way to help the community and raise money for different causes,” Szabo said.
How it’s going
Szabo said over the past year, online sales have grown to be the majority of purchases from Szabo Apparel, with summertime tourism also helping bring in visitors to the store.
Currently, the design shop sells a variety of Browns and Cleveland Indians hoodies, longsleeved and short-sleeved shirts, hats, masks and baby onesies.
Szabo Apparel also sells general Cleveland, Vermilion, Lake Erie, local business and military merchandise.
Additionally, Szabo said his business still designs and sells clothing for local schools, including Vermilion Local Schools, Amherst Exempted Village Schools, St. Anthony of Padua School and the Cleveland Bombers Sports Club.
Szabo said all designing and printing is done in-house and can be done direct to garment, which makes for speedy rollout of new designs.
Some designs can be ready to be printed within a hour of Szabo acting on an idea, but other projects that involve processes like screen printing could take longer.
“It really depends on the specific design,” he said.
Local support
Fortunately, Szabo said the pandemic did not take a toll on the clothing store.
“There’s been a huge focus on people shopping small, so we’ve been very fortunate in that regard,” he said. “It also allows me to focus on the online side of the business.”
That online side has been booming too, with the shop sending out shipments every day, according to Szabo.
He said the pandemic afforded him the opportunity to round out his business.
“It had me refocus, and we’ve been very fortunate throughout this,” Szabo said.