Company Profile: Spin Ultimate

In the first edition of our Company Profile series, Skyd sits down with Will Juras of Spin Ultimate to see just what kind of bacon they’re cooking.

Tell us about yourself. Who are you and how did you get involved in Ultimate? What is your Ultimate history?

I first played Ultimate at a family reunion when I was 9, but really got involved during college. It started out with a few fellow students in the architecture program and a nighttime pickup game. Soon after, a few other members of the “core” and I transitioned into a club team that sought to play against other schools. After that I was hooked.

Tell us about the inception of your company. Why did you decide to create Spin?

The idea for Spin began coalescing in college. I was addicted to the sport and wanted to be around it as much as I could. I wanted to somehow make Ultimate into my livelihood. I dreamed and made excuses for about 6 years, until finally, in 2007, I went for it; and Spin Ultimate was born.

How has the company grown?

In 2007, I was essentially a broker for local team jersey orders. I went to nearby tournaments, and set up a ‘vendor’ booth to advertise my services. Since then, Spin Ultimate has grown into a brand that manufactures, designs, and customizes, all types of gear and apparel for Ultimate players. We still travel to tournaments as a vendor, but now we work a lot more closely with tournament directors to support and help create increased visibility for tournaments.

How many employees do you have?

6

What is your mission statement?

To provide inspiration for ALL athletes to play more Ultimate.

What products do you offer?

We offer custom gear and apparel for Ultimate teams and tournaments. We also offer a Culture Line of casual off-field apparel.

What are your signature products?

Our signature jerseys are our Prime and Triumph Jerseys. Our culture signatures are our Ultimate Collared “Polo”and our Reach Hat.  The Reach Hat has already been reviewed by Skyd.

What are you most proud of?

Probably what I’m most proud of is that Spin’s full-sublimation is 100% American made, in the South East, more specifically. Our fabric comes from a mill in North Carolina, our jerseys are printed, cut, and sewn in Georgia.

What makes Spin different from other Ultimate apparel companies? What do you do better?

Our company is focused on having better customer service, and a faster turnaround time. Additionally, we offer 100% US made full-sublimation jerseys, and we pride ourselves on working cooperatively with tournaments to help brand and build higher quality events, to propel growth of our sport.

I think our strengths lie in our customer service and turnaround time, without sacrificing quality.

Tell us about your supply chain. Where is your material made and how is it shipped?

We are in the process of developing a new line of jerseys, besides our full-sublimation jerseys, that are also 100% US made. These jerseys will have a significantly smaller carbon footprint than those produced abroad.

Do you utilize green technologies in any of your products?

Yes, not only in our products, but also daily business practices, employee actions, and even implementing green screen printing processes (environmentally friendly supplies and use of a local ink maker for smaller carbon footprint).

How do you view your competition?

It’s a love/hate relationship. But mostly love.

What are you doing to stay competitive?

Quality, integrity, an honest interest and obsession with the growth of this sport. We try to focus on what this sport’s athletes want and need.

How do you view an entrance from one of the “big” sports companies like Nike or Adidas? Is it inevitable? How are you planning for this possibility?

We don’t want to give away too many of our super secret plans for world domination, but we have a few thoughts on the matter.

What do you see as your role as an apparel producer in the sport of Ultimate and the future of the sport?

I view our role as two-fold. In terms of custom gear, we hope to increase the legitimacy of the sport by producing high quality team apparel. In terms of tournament participation, we are hoping to increase Ultimate’s visibility by helping to build higher quality, and better organized tournaments. We take a professional approach to our business, but we try to balance professionalism with the enjoyment of what we do and we try to keep in mind why we do it (because we’re crazy about this sport, its people, and its future).

What can the Ultimate community expect and look forward to about your company?

The Ultimate community can expect continued growth, support and love from Spin. We will continue to implement greener and more sustainable systems and products. Speaking of which, we are constantly unveiling new gear, and are always looking for feedback or ideas. After all, we’re making merchandise that we hope you want, so let us know what YOU want to see!