Rob Starkman dreams that one day, athletes everywhere will wear his socks.
Not the ones in his sock drawer β the former ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ student is talking about the socks produced by Rock βEm Apparel, the company he launched in his college apartment. That was four years ago, and now the business has brought in more than $1 million in revenue each of the last two years and has four ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ alumni and two current students on its payroll, Starkman says.
The company recently released its product line for Knight fans, as well as lines for Gators and Seminoles.
βWeβve been very fortunate to grow very massively very quickly,β said the 25-year-old, who spoke recently to a group of budding entrepreneurs at the Blackstone LaunchPad in the Student Union.
Rob Starkman shares insight about his company with ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ students at Blackstone LaunchPad.
Starkman didnβt set out to start a business. He was student manager for the ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ menβs basketball team for four years. Initially, Adidas held the exclusive contract to supply apparel for ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ athletics. That relationship ended in 2009 when basketball player Marcus Jordan wore his famous father Michael Jordanβs Nike shoes on the court.
ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ signed with Nike a few months later, and the basketball team began wearing the companyβs gear. But Starkman thought the companyβs basic black-and-white socks didnβt show enough Knights spirit. He bought dye at a department store and turned the Nike socks black and gold.
The players loved them, and fans began to take notice, too. Starkman, then a communications student, listed some of the socks on eBay and saw them snapped up quickly.
βThe company never started because I was trying to start a business,β he said. βIt was out of necessity for my position with the basketball team.β
Rock βEm Apparel now has seven employees, not including Starkman. Four are ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ alumni β Austin Crane, Josh Netterstrom, Mike Pacini and Steve Rollins, all 2013 graduates β and two others, Colin Cleven and Justus Griffith, are currently enrolled at ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½.
The company based near Mall at Millenia makes socks using its own dyeing process thatβs capable of producing crisp, intricate designs. Itβs branching out into other apparel, as well.
Rock βEm Apparel has a growing following, including a social media audience of more than 600,000. The company has done custom sock projects with ESPN, Red Bull and Champs Sports, as well as professional, collegiate and school teams β including producing the NBA Championship socks for the Golden State Warriors.
In addition to its online store, Rock βEm socks are sold in the Magic team store, and the Gator, Seminole, Knight Fever memorabilia store in College Park. Starkman is talking with national retailers with an eye toward further expansion. That goes for on the field, too.
βTen years from now, I want every piece of clothing worn by ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ athletes to be Rock βEm Apparel,β Starkman said.