UGP traces its origins to 2001, when childhood friends Rishi Narayan and Ryan Gregg established a screen-printing business while studying at the University of Michigan. Initially operating as A-1 Screen Printing, the venture began with a basic setup connected to Narayan’s college experience.2

In 2003, the company rebranded as Underground Printing, abbreviated as UGP, and relocated to a dedicated production facility in Chelsea, Michigan. Growth was driven by a focus on college communities and customized service for student organizations and campus groups.2

UGP subsequently expanded its manufacturing capacity and retail footprint. The company moved from a 3,000-square-foot facility to a 12,000-square-foot space in 2005, and then to a 33,000-square-foot production facility in 2007. Retail stores were also opened near major college campuses.2

In 2008, UGP appeared on Inc. Magazine’s Fastest-Growing Companies list. Expansion continued through the 2010s and 2020s with additional offices, stores, and production capabilities. In 2022, UGP relocated its headquarters to a significantly larger facility in the Ypsilanti area, measuring approximately 172,000 square feet.2

UGP operates primarily as a custom apparel manufacturer and service provider rather than a conventional fashion label. Its business model integrates production, design, ordering, fulfillment, retail, and online store services.21

Major services include:

• Screen printing
• Embroidery
• Digital printing
• Heat-transfer printing
• Custom T-shirts and sweatshirts
• Custom hoodies
• Hats and headwear
• Jackets and outerwear
• Polos and uniforms
• Online group-ordering stores
• Merchandise fulfillment and shipping
• Collegiate-licensed apparel21

The company also provides systems designed for organizations collecting orders from multiple people. These online platforms allow groups to create storefronts, gather individual orders, and ship products directly to customers or members.1

A primary area of recognition for UGP is college and university apparel. Reflecting its origins at the University of Michigan, the company maintains a strong connection to American campus culture.

UGP states it is licensed to produce collegiate merchandise for over 200 colleges and universities, managing licensing requirements including applications, approvals, and fees.2

Collegiate offerings include T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, long-sleeve shirts, hats, and other items featuring university names, logos, colors, and related designs. Products are associated with institutions such as Michigan, Iowa, Purdue, Western Michigan, and Illinois.3

While fundamentally a custom-printing company, UGP also functions as a consumer-facing apparel brand. Retail offerings include UGP-branded T-shirts, hoodies, and long-sleeve shirts. The company’s online store has sold products featuring its distinctive UGP script and pinwheel logos.1

The pinwheel logo represents a bird’s-eye view of an automatic screen-printing press, linking the brand’s visual identity directly to its manufacturing heritage.2

UGP’s identity is characterized by five key elements:

1. College culture: The company emerged from the University of Michigan environment and historically focused on student organizations and collegiate clients.
2. Customization: Rather than relying solely on fixed seasonal collections, the core business enables customers and organizations to create their own apparel.
3. Accessible casualwear: Products generally occupy the T-shirt, sweatshirt, hoodie, hat, and casual apparel space rather than high-fashion luxury.
4. Manufacturing: UGP emphasizes in-house production capabilities, including screen printing, embroidery, fulfillment, and apparel decoration technologies.
5. Convenience: The company combines physical stores and production facilities with online ordering and fulfillment systems.21

UGP’s product range is divided into several categories:

Apparel

• T-shirts
• Long-sleeve shirts
• Sweatshirts
• Hoodies
• Polos
• Jackets
• Performance apparel

Headwear

• Baseball caps
• Snapbacks
• Beanies
• Other customizable headwear

Collegiate Merchandise

• University T-shirts
• School hoodies
• Licensed team merchandise
• Greek-life apparel
• Student-organization merchandise

Promotional Merchandise

UGP works with businesses and organizations on branded apparel and promotional products, extending beyond traditional campus merchandise.21

A key distinction between UGP and typical apparel retailers is its emphasis on in-house apparel decoration and manufacturing infrastructure. Capabilities include screen printing, embroidery, digital printing, and heat transfer. The company markets these services for both small and large orders and has produced high-volume orders for major events.21

UGP has also invested in online ordering systems that allow organizations to create customized stores and manage group apparel orders without manually collecting sizes, colors, and payments.1

UGP originated in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and maintains headquarters and production operations in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area. The company has expanded beyond Michigan with stores and offices in multiple U.S. locations. Official careers information describes the company as having 26+ stores across the United States, while its main website currently lists 30 store locations and counting.21

UGP defines its organizational culture through six core values:

1. Show Up
2. Work Hard
3. Be Respectful and Honest
4. Strive for Excellence
5. Do What You Say
6. Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion2

These values reflect the company’s positioning regarding customer service, reliability, manufacturing quality, and workplace culture.

UGP and Underground Printing are two names associated with the same business. The company explains that Underground Printing is its full legal name, while UGP is the abbreviation used for the company and its retail operations. The retail website is referred to as Shop UGP.1

In the context of custom apparel, the relationship is structured as:

UGP → Underground Printing → Shop UGP

UGP occupies a unique position in the apparel market, spanning several categories:

• Custom-printing company
• Collegiate apparel provider
• Promotional-products supplier
• Online group-ordering platform
• Retail apparel brand

Its competitive identity focuses less on being a traditional fashion house and more on combining apparel manufacturing, customization, collegiate culture, and fulfillment.

UGP is notable as an example of a company that grew out of American college T-shirt and screen-printing culture. Its history illustrates how a small campus-oriented business can expand into a national custom-apparel operation while retaining college merchandise as a central part of its identity.1

The company’s evolution demonstrates the changing nature of custom apparel, expanding from physical screen printing to include online design tools, web stores, fulfillment systems, embroidery, digital printing, and large-scale licensed merchandise.

The company’s primary website is Underground Printing (undergroundshirts.com), while retail operations are represented through Shop UGP (ugpshop.com).21

1. Frequently Asked Questions – Underground Printing
2. T-Shirt & Apparel Printing | Underground Printing – UGP
3. UGP Product Data API — Channel3