About Us

Cal Apparel, Inc was established on April 1st, 2016, some thought it was an April Fools joke when I made the announcement. The company had two employees, myself and an employee that knew how to run the embroidery machine. At the time we had a 4 head embroidery machine and a 6 station manual screen print machine. Since then, we have grown to have 22 heads of embroidery, a 8/10 M&R Sportsman Auto Screen Print Machine, I-image Direct to Screen Printer, 56" Roland Printer and a staff that is looking forward to taking your logo and brands to the next level. The good Lord has truly blessed this company and I thank him each and every day for all the blessings. Without trust and faith we would not be where we are today and I would not have the amazing staff that makes this company go. Without you, our customer(s), we would be nothing, so, Thank You for trusting us and allowing us to grow with you!

Meet Our Team

Michael

Owner/President

Worked in the Food-Service/Produce industry for over 25 years along with 20 years as an Extra Help firefighter in Michigan & California. Thought owning this company would be a fun side gig and in 2019 it became my full-time job. I love the outdoors, sporting events and traveling (so does my wife). I am a huge University of Michigan fan - GO BLUE!, Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers fan, our house is divided as my wife is a USC, SF Giants and 49er fan.

Fun Fact: I dream of going to Pamplona Spain and participating in the Running of the Bulls one day.

Sarah

General Manager - Online Web-store / First Responder Specialist

At the age of 18 I started working for the National Forest as a Forestry Firefighter where I met my husband. After a couple seasons of doing this I entered into the medical field where I spent 15+ years. My sister opened a restaurant and I thought I wanted to be in the food-service industry and I learned very quickly that this was not for me. My husband was Michael's Lieutenant on the Fire Department, these two knuckleheads became best friends and somehow I got hooked into coming to work for Cal Apparel, Inc in 2021. I handle all of the web-stores, and First Responder orders.

Fun Fact: My sister and I are so close that we have to talk several times a day on the phone.

Marcus

Graphic Designer

Started screen printing in my garage learning the basics. I started creating my own brands while pursuing my Bachelors degree in Art. Got the opportunity to further my knowledge with Cal Apparel, Inc. in 2020, on how to run the auto screen printer, the Image Printer and Exposure unit. I have now moved into the lead graphic designer for the company.

Fun Fact: I love traveling, going to concerts. Favorite sport is Baseball and I'm a die-hard Dodger fan. My goal is to visit every MLB Stadium along with the HOF in Cooperstown, NY.

Megan

Promotional Graphic Designer & Assistant to Sarah

I found a hidden love for design during my senior year of high school when I took a photography & Photoshop class. Always having a passion for photography, I thought the class would be fun, but little did I know, it would spark a desire for the digital art world. I had decided to major in graphic design, and I did when I first started college in 2013. However, I was soon talked out of it by my dad, who, though supportive, is a little old-school sometimes and didn't think it would give me a decent living allowance. Long story short, I jumped majors a few (five) times, got an Associates of Arts degree in English, just to end up where I started as a graphic design major. I was able to find work at Staples in the copy & print center for 3.5 (VERY long) years, which allowed me to gain extensive experience and knowledge in the printing side of design. Luckily, this helped me find Cal Apparel, Inc. when Michael reached out, needing a designer, and put me in charge of designing promo items for customers.

Fun Fact: I am obsessed with mythology from all different cultures around the world and would love to visit and photograph the places where the stories took place. My favorites are Greek and Irish mythology.

Dave

Lead Embroider

Embroider by day drummer by night! 15 years embroidery experience - I ran a large embroidery and screen printing shop for the Tule River Indian Reservation for several years. I have two assistant embroiderers that I manage on a weekly basis to keep our 22 heads of embroidery rolling. I get the opportunity to teach students from the local college and high schools that are taking fashion classes on how to run large embroidery machines and how digitizing is done. I have been with Cal Apparel, Inc since 2018.

Fun Fact: I have been playing drums longer than I have been an embroiderer. I have had the opportunity to jam with Rudy Paris, Jerry Salas from El Chicano, The band August and Classic All-stars to name a few.

Steve

Lead Screen Printer

25+ years screen printing experience. At 25 I became a partner of a screen printing shop in OC (Orange County, CA). After several years of running the business I decided to move my family out of the hussel and bussel of L.A. to the CV (Central Valley). I went to work for one of the largest contract decorators for over 15 years. After going back into business for myself the pandemic hit, shutting down everything. About this time I heard Michael was looking for an experienced screen printer and brought my experience, charm and wit to Cal Apparel, Inc. in 2020. I oversee the day to day operations for screen printing and heat press.

Fun Fact: I love to skydive & travel with my family. I'm also a huge Howard Stern fan.

Liz

Seamstress & Varsity Jacket Queen

Learned how to sew when I was 12 years old. I worked full time for the IRS for over 25 years and retired in 2019. I still had it in me to sew so I helped out a couple of other shops in the area until I found a home here at Cal Apparel, Inc. in 2022. I handle all the Varsity jackets along with alterations to items that need to be hemmed or repaired. My biggest task I have is keeping Michael and his desk somewhat organized..That alone is a full-time job!

Fun Fact: Liz is not a twin; however, 2 of her 3 sisters look very similar to her and there have been mistaken identities often: So much so, that we smile and greet everyone we meet, and then say: "that's my sister!" after we introduce ourselves.

Chuck

School's and Sports Equipment Specialist

Owned Midtown Sports for over 50 years. After the second round of Covid closures my partner decided he would like to retire and close the store. After closing the store, my wife and I traveled the country in our 5th wheel for a couple of months. I decided I was not ready to retire and had a few connections that wanted me to continue working with them, after testing the waters I found Cal Apparel is where I needed to be. Maybe I will do another 50 years here??

Fun Fact: My wife and I have two biological children, between the busy schedule of running a store, church and home life we thought we would add to the family and had the privilege of adopting two amazing children. Four was not enough for us as we ended up fostering over a dozen other children whom we consider each and everyone of them our own. Now working with Michael for over a year I have given him the nickname of CJ (Chuck Jr).