SanMar — Your Story, Our Canvas

A concert t-shirt that rocks. That sharp polo shirt stamped with company pride. The local softball team’s cap. A business traveler’s bag sporting a slick logo. It’s what SanMar is all about — activewear and accessories that unite people and build up teams, groups and communities.

Screenprinters, embroiderers, athletic dealers and promotional companies count on us for stylish, top-quality apparel that becomes canvases for decoration. Our t-shirts, polo shirts and outerwear showcase a unifying spirit that lingers long after they’re worn. You may not know it but SanMar’s products show up everywhere — at sports arenas, schools, coffee shops and restaurants, fun runs and walks, and local businesses.

Family Business, Family Values

The t-shirt is an iconic symbol of American style, and so it was the product our founder, Marty Lott chose when starting out. He launched SanMar in 1971 distributing t-shirts from his parents’ basement in Seattle. Marty continues to run the company in partnership with sons Jeremy and Jordan, who learned the business beginning at very young ages. Today SanMar employs more than 4,000 people nationwide and offers 21 retail, mill and private label brands, and counting!

What’s in a Name? Everything

At SanMar, treating people like family is spun right into our DNA — like cotton into t-shirts. Marty borrowed the name SanMar from a business his father originally named after him and his sister, Sandra. Today the Lott family continues to steer SanMar’s industry leadership with simple, timeless principles. We count our employees and those who work for our suppliers as family, too. It’s why we value global human rights, ecological stewardship and community engagement. Our call to Be Nice reaches across the hall and around the globe.