Popular Arizona apparel brand, State Forty Eight, has officially signed the lease to their third retail location in Downtown Gilbert at 325 N. Ash Street. Slated to open in the spring of 2022, the community-oriented company will join other Arizona-based businesses who will also be moving into The Collab, a 40,500-square-foot mixed-use development of retail, restaurant and office space.
With 1,456-square-feet of retail space, Gilbert will be State Forty Eight’s biggest location yet. Currently the company operates out of their Headquarters in Chandler, which has an adjacent retail location, and out of a container inside The Churchill in Downtown Phoenix.
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“This new location signifies a huge milestone for us as a company,” says CEO and Co-Founder, Mike Spangenberg. “Each year we aim to surpass the one before, and despite the odds, 2021 was our best year yet.”
2022 will mark State Forty Eight’s ninth year in operation. In the past year, the company has experienced rapid growth, seeing a 42% boost in revenue year-over-year—a pretty big feat for a brand that got its start with only a $1,500 investment and operated out of the spare bedroom of the founder’s home.
But it hasn’t been just selling their own T-shirts and hats that have gotten State Forty Eight to where it is today. The collaboration component of the business has been one their largest revenue builders. In 2021 alone, State Forty Eight worked with 522 organizations to produce 124,867 shirts, and brought in over $1.6 million in total revenue, making up 47% of their total profits for the year.
“State Forty Eight is proud to work with a diverse group of organizations in Arizona,” says Spangenberg. “One of the most rewarding parts of our business is building relationships with our partners and helping add value to what they do. We strive to be a recognized brand in Arizona that is known for making a difference in our community, and we will never take that for granted.”
Spangenberg, along with his Co-Founder and Creative Director, Nicholas Polando, have set their sights on becoming a one-stop shop for apparel in Arizona. In addition to Collaborations, in 2021 State Forty Eight added Screen Printing & Embroidery and Art & Branding to their services. They’ve also recently launched the State Forty Eight Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting local entrepreneurs and building community through volunteer-driven events.
