Sambob fleece pullovers started with a dream that founder Sam Roberts had of making outdoor gear.
A dream that took shape with a cross-country drive in November from Utah to Maine, where a friend taught Sam to use the sewing machine he and his wife, Amanda, packed in the car with them.
In January, Sam’s dream became real as he began making custom, colorful fleece pullovers. His business took off, and four months in he can’t keep up with orders.
“It’s taken over my life for the past three months,” Sam, 35, says of Sambob, the company that shares his childhood nickname.
He has a website—Sambob.biz—and also takes orders through Instagram, where people can message him about a pullover, and friends share with friends word about their Sambob purchase. More than 7,000 people follow him on Instagram.
Sam, 35, credits Jeff Garmire, aka The Free Outside and a Backpacking Routes cofounder, with helping the business get started. Sam knew that Jeff likes wildly colored clothes, so offered him fleece shorts with a blazing pattern. Jeff got the shorts, shared pictures of them on Instagram, and helped Sam with the financial side of the business.
The only way to place an order is through Sam’s Instagram account, in his profile section. There’s no website, Facebook account, or Etsy sales.
Starting a business during the Covid-19 pandemic seems like the antithesis of success, but Sam’s idea has taken off. “I reached capacity immediately,” he says.
And at a time when many feel isolated because of the pandemic, Sam has found comfort in meeting new people online. Customers ask him for a pullover with a hood, or thumbholes, or additional pockets, and tell him the colors and patterns they want. It’s a back and forth between Sam and customer as he sends them photos as the work progresses, they make suggestions, and the pullover comes together.
“I think the customization is the kicker,” Sam says. “People can find a way to express themselves through clothes.”
Sam says he has a lot of orders from LGBTQ+ customers, and wants people to know that everyone is welcome, from those seeking a plus size to others looking for clothing to fit their personality.
Right now he’s taking about 15 orders every two weeks, and can make one to one-and-a-half pullovers per day. His dining room at his Utah home has become his workshop, and he now has four machines, including an industrial-style sewing machine. He’s setting up a waitlist to handle the overflow of orders.
All this on top of Sam’s full-time job as a wildlife research biologist, working mostly from home because of the pandemic. Amanda—who’s doing postdoctoral work—helps with color choices, but Sam does all the sewing.
A basic pullover costs $133, including shipping, and increases in cost depending on customization. And though Sam makes fleece shorts, including those for Jeff, he prefers making pullovers.
His fleece comes from JOANN fabric stores or from online sources, and he uses Polartec fleece. And though the pullovers are not ultralight, he’s thinking he may move that way.
But for now, he has enough orders to keep him busy. His equipment is paid for, he has a good supply of fleece, and he’s not thinking of expansion.
“It’s a little daunting thinking about new projects,” Sam says.
Read more here about outdoor cottage industries making gear in the United States.
Photos courtesy of Sam Roberts
