Addix acquires Great Atlantic, moves HQ to Jacksonville (Courtesy of the Jacksonville Business Journal) — Addix Sportswear, a manufacturer of custom sports team uniforms, recently acquired Great Atlantic Outfitters, a Jacksonville-based screen printing business.
In the process, Addix relocated its headquarters and operations from Lowell, Michigan, where it was founded in 2006, to Jacksonville.
The 25,800-square-foot property at 1708 Marshall St. now houses Addix’s operations, which began last week. Addix has hired roughly 20 new employees so far for sewing positions and to operate the laser cutter and sublimation printer. It plans to hire at least 20 more by the end of the year, in addition to the 20 employees Addix now employs through Great Atlantic, which are mostly screen printing and embroidery positions.
The Addix-Great Atlantic merger was closed on May 1 for an undisclosed sum, said Bob Morris, owner of Great Atlantic Outfitters and now executive vice president of sales, marketing and graphic design at Addix.
According to Morris, the merger was appealing because, although Addix and Great Atlantic operate through separate manufacturing processes, they serve roughly the same clientele. While Addix buys fabric to make custom sports team uniforms from scratch, Great Atlantic purchases clothes from companies like Hanes or Fruit of the Loom and prints designs on them.
If there’s a youth soccer game going on, Morris said, the kids playing the game could be wearing uniforms made by Addix, while the families in the stands could be wearing t-shirts in support of the teams that were printed on by Great Atlantic.
While Great Atlantic is really a Jacksonville company, Morris added, Addix has a nationwide client base, which could be useful for Great Atlantic as a subsidiary of Addix going forward.
Great Atlantic Outfitters was founded in Jacksonville in 1994.