The idea for Yooper Shirts was sparked years before the company officially launched, with early designs being sold from the back of my vehicle to friends, family, and at community events across the Upper Peninsula. What began in December 2009 with the first online order placed through YooperShirts.com has since grown into one of the Upper Peninsula’s most recognized cultural brands. Early designs like the “sUPernatural,” “Yooper Icon,” and “U.P. HEART” struck a chord with people, proving that design could capture identity, pride, and a sense of place.
After a year and a half online, I opened the first Yooper Shirts retail shop inside the Shell Station in West Ishpeming. As the business grew, we moved closer to town in partnership with the Ishpeming/Negaunee Chamber of Commerce. In 2011, I invested in our first screen printing equipment, hired my first full-time employee, and expanded into custom graphic design, screen printing, and embroidery services. That decision, bringing production in-house, became the foundation for everything we do today.
On September 6, 2013 (9.06), we cut the ribbon on a new retail and production space in downtown Ishpeming’s historic Gossard Building. From the exposed brick to the refinished floors, we built a shop that combined a high-end feel with small-town grit.
Four years later, an even bigger opportunity arrived: on February 10, 2017, we purchased a building at 503 N. Third Street in downtown Marquette, which served as our retail flagship for nearly a decade. After four months of renovations, we opened the doors in May 2017. With retail operations now based in Marquette, our Ishpeming location in the historic Gossard Building was transformed into a dedicated production facility to support growing demand.
That growth continued quickly. By late 2018, it was clear we had already outgrown the Gossard Building. On December 14, 2018, we purchased a 6,000 sq. ft. industrial building in Ishpeming that had previously been used by UPPCO for fleet operations and vehicle maintenance. Prior to our purchase, the facility had undergone extensive renovations to create the production headquarters we operate from today. The space allowed us to streamline our workflow, expand our capabilities, and support future growth.
On June 8, 2026, Yooper Shirts entered its next chapter. After more than 15 years of retail operations across Ishpeming and Marquette, we transitioned out of retail and consolidated all operations under one roof at our headquarters in Ishpeming.
The move was months in the making. Beginning in January, we started clearing out and reimagining space within our headquarters, and by April we were fully immersed in creating a showroom and creative studio designed around the way we serve clients, develop ideas, and build brands.
By bringing our team, equipment, showroom, and creative studio together in a single location, we’ve created a more efficient operation designed to better serve our clients while continuing to grow the Yooper Shirts brand.
Today, Yooper Shirts is more than apparel, it’s cultural identity built through design. As Founder and Creative Director, my role has always been to translate the spirit of the U.P. into gear that people wear with pride. I’ve been a designer since 1998, and for more than a decade and a half I’ve poured that creative vision into this company while also leading other ventures like Ambitious Supply Co. (Palm Springs-based creative apparel studio), Roundballin (basketball culture brand), and Mtn View PS (vacation rental + design project).
At its core, Yooper Shirts is proof that design isn’t decoration—it’s infrastructure for growth. It creates jobs, fuels community pride, and connects people everywhere back to this place we call home.
— Jeremy Symons
Founder / Creative Director
Born & Raised in Ishpeming, Michigan
*The term "Yooper Shirts" is a registered trademark of Yooper Shirts, Inc. (United States Patent and Trademark Office)
