Faith, Family, and a Fresh Start in Greenville, NC
Every business has a beginning. Ours started with faith, family, a dream, and the courage to build something of our own.
GMB Custom Apparel is a family-owned custom apparel, printing, embroidery, and branding company based in Greenville, North Carolina. But long before we became a full-service print shop, we were simply a husband-and-wife team with a vision to create something meaningful for our family and the community.
Our founders, Myke and Shana Smith, relocated from Youngstown, Ohio, to Greenville, NC, in pursuit of new career opportunities and a better future for their family.
Shana continued her calling as an oncology nurse, dedicating her career to caring for others. Myke worked in the corporate healthcare industry as a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), managing projects, leading teams, and developing the systems and processes needed to help organizations succeed.
Although both had established careers, we felt God was leading us toward something greater.
With no extended family nearby, we wanted to build new relationships, create additional income, and establish something that could grow beyond a traditional nine-to-five job.
We didn't have a large investment, a warehouse full of equipment, or an established customer base.
We had faith, determination, creativity, and each other.
From Get Me Bedazzled to GMB Custom Apparel
Our entrepreneurial journey began with a small business called Get Me Bedazzled, specializing in custom rhinestone apparel and personalized gifts.
We created bling shirts for dance studios, gymnastics teams, bridal parties, special events, and customers who wanted something different.
Every order was personal.
We spent countless evenings working out of our garage, placing rhinestones, preparing designs, packaging orders, and learning how to operate a business—one customer at a time.
There were late nights, early mornings, mistakes, lessons, and moments when we questioned how everything would work out.
But we kept going.
Through word-of-mouth referrals, customer relationships, and a growing reputation for quality and service, Get Me Bedazzled began to grow.
What started as a way to generate extra income slowly became a much bigger opportunity.
Taking a Leap of Faith
As demand increased, the business required more time, better equipment, additional production capabilities, and a long-term vision.
Myke eventually transitioned from his corporate career to focus on growing the business full-time, while Shana continued balancing her nursing career, family responsibilities, and entrepreneurship.
That transition was about more than simply leaving a job.
It meant taking everything we had learned about leadership, customer service, project management, and business operations and applying it to something we were building ourselves.
As the company grew, we expanded from our garage into a commercial storefront in Greenville, North Carolina.
Then came another challenge we never could have predicted.
When the World Changed, So Did Our Business
The COVID-19 pandemic changed how businesses operated almost overnight. Like many small businesses, we faced uncertainty, shifting customer needs, and difficult decisions.
Instead of allowing those challenges to define our future, we began looking at what our customers needed and how we could better serve them.
We realized that our customers needed more than rhinestone shirts.
They needed professional uniforms, printed apparel, promotional merchandise, branded materials, signage, and reliable partners to help their organizations grow.
That realization became a turning point.
Get Me Bedazzled evolved into GMB Custom Apparel.
We kept the original initials to honor where we started, but expanded our vision to reflect where we were going.
What began as a small custom bling business became a comprehensive printing, apparel, and branding company serving businesses, schools, sports teams, churches, healthcare organizations, nonprofits, and government agencies.
More Than Custom T-Shirts: Your Complete Branding Partner
Today, GMB Custom Apparel offers businesses and organizations the convenience of working with one partner for many of their printing, apparel, and marketing needs.
Our services include:
- Custom Apparel & T-Shirt Printing: Professional screen printing, direct-to-film (DTF) printing, sublimation, and custom garment decoration.
- Embroidery & Uniforms: Embroidered polos, hats, workwear, medical apparel, jackets, and professional staff uniforms.
- Promotional Products & Corporate Gifts: Branded drinkware, bags, pens, employee appreciation gifts, event merchandise, and more.
- Signs, Banners & Large-Format Printing: Business signage, trade show displays, retractable banners, promotional graphics, and marketing materials.
- Sports & Team Apparel: Custom jerseys, spirit wear, athletic uniforms, coaching apparel, and team accessories.
- Business Printing & Branding: Business cards, stationery, printed collateral, logo development, and graphic design.
- Custom Online Company Stores: Dedicated ordering storefronts that help businesses, departments, schools, and organizations simplify uniform purchasing, approved merchandise, and repeat orders.
- Website Design & Business Solutions: Professional websites, digital branding tools, and solutions that help businesses streamline operations and grow.
Our goal is not simply to put a logo on a shirt.
It's to help our customers create a professional, recognizable, and consistent brand across everything they do.
Whether you are ordering embroidered polos for five employees, developing merchandise for an event, outfitting an entire organization, or launching a custom company apparel store, we approach each project with the same commitment to quality and service.
We don't just print shirts. We build brands.
Proud to Serve Greenville, Pitt County, and Customers Nationwide
What began in a garage has grown into a company trusted by businesses and organizations across multiple industries.
Over the years, we have had the opportunity to provide custom printing, branded apparel, embroidery, merchandise, and other solutions for organizations including East Carolina University, ECU Health, Pitt Community College, Pitt County Schools, Big O Tires, and many others.
We are also proud to be an officially licensed East Carolina University merchandise provider, allowing us to produce approved ECU-branded products.
Our experience includes working with healthcare systems, educational institutions, national brands, local restaurants, construction companies, sports organizations, churches, government entities, fraternities, sororities, and community groups.
While Greenville and Winterville, NC, remain home, we proudly serve customers throughout Eastern North Carolina and across the United States.
Every relationship matters to us, whether we are working with an established organization or a new business placing its first order.
Locally Owned. Family Operated. Not a Franchise.
One of the things that makes GMB Custom Apparel different is that we are independently owned and operated.
We are not a national printing franchise.
We are a family business built from the ground up, with real people behind the work and a genuine investment in the relationships we build.
Our customers aren't just order numbers.
They're business owners, coaches, healthcare professionals, educators, entrepreneurs, parents, and community leaders who trust us to represent their brands.
Being independent allows us to provide personalized service, recommend appropriate products, and develop solutions around the needs of each customer rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach.
We take the time to understand what you are trying to accomplish, how the finished products will be used, and what matters most to your organization.
Quality Isn't Just About the Finished Product
We believe a great customer experience starts long before the first shirt is printed or the first stitch is sewn.
That is why our process emphasizes communication, artwork quality, clear expectations, and customer approval.
Before production, we review artwork, discuss decoration methods, and help customers make informed decisions about garment selection, logo placement, print sizing, and branding consistency.
If artwork needs adjustments, we explain the issue and recommend solutions.
If a product or decoration method isn't the right fit, we would rather guide a customer toward a better option than simply process an order.
From initial consultation and digital mockups to production and delivery, our goal is to make custom ordering more organized, transparent, and convenient.
We also offer custom online ordering stores that allow organizations to maintain approved apparel selections, centralize branded merchandise, and simplify future orders.
For us, technology should make doing business easier without replacing the personal relationships that make a family-owned company special.
Rooted in Faith. Built Through Perseverance.
Faith has been part of our journey from the very beginning.
We've experienced victories, setbacks, uncertainty, growth, and plenty of moments that required us to trust God even when we couldn't see the next step.
Through it all, we have remained committed to the values that shaped this business: faith, family, integrity, hard work, service, and treating people with respect.
Those values influence how we lead, how we serve our customers, and how we continue building our company.
We are grateful for every customer who has trusted us, every team member who has contributed to our growth, and every person who has supported our journey.
We're proud of how far we've come, but we haven't forgotten where we started.
From a garage in Greenville to helping organizations build their brands across the country, our mission remains the same: serve people well, produce work we're proud of, and build relationships that last.
Let's Build Something Great Together
Whether you're launching a business, refreshing your company uniforms, planning an event, outfitting a sports team, or looking for a dependable printing and branding partner, GMB Custom Apparel is ready to help.
We combine the personal service of a family-owned Greenville print shop with the capabilities of a full-service custom apparel and branding company.
Your vision deserves more than a vendor. It deserves a partner who cares about your success.
GMB Custom Apparel — Greenville, North Carolina
We Don't Just Print Shirts. We Build Brands.
