Vendor Spotlight ” ASPHALT ARMY”

Our vendor spotlight is on ” Asphalt Army “. One of the premier clothing companies at shows and online. Check out our interview with Tony Moore and he might just have you a code to put in when you order some merchandise.

ST: Tell us your name and company?

TM: Tony Moore & Blake Moore (brothers) – ASPHALT ARMY

ST: When did you decide to get into the business?

TM: It’s been a dream of ours since back in the 90’s to put my artwork on shirts. We finally decided in 2014 that we needed to give this dream a try and here we are 8 years later still doing it.

ST: Is this full time or part time?

TM: This is totally part time. We both work full-time jobs plus other side jobs as well as this.

ST: Tell us more about your company? History/ history behind the name.

TM: I was working at a graphic design studio and began freelancing, creating automotive-related artwork back in the early 90’s, from logos to t-shirt artwork. That was my true passion and I wanted to be able to freelance part-time to fund my truck habits. Blake and I always talked about me doing T-shirt artwork and trying to sell them, but we were young and didn’t really have the means to do it, so it was always a dream. In 2013, we both had started to attend a few truck shows again and decided that maybe it was time to give this dream a try and in January of 2014, ASPHALT ARMY was started.

As for the name…well, we wanted a name that could encompass “any” type of vehicle even though lowered trucks were our passion. So, after tossing around some ideas, ASPHALT ARMY stuck.

ST: What were some of the struggles you had in the beginning?

TM: I think the biggest struggle was growth. We knew it would take time to grow, but we ordered larger quantities early on to get better pricing and it took a while to move through all the stock. We’ve been ordering less stock and now are going to start carrying less designs so we’re not sitting on inventory for so long.

ST: What were some of the wins you had that you knew it was going to work?

TM: I think the positive feedback we got early on that my unique artwork style was something different than the other brands out there played a part in it. Plus, with my 30+ years in the industry I had made plenty of good contacts over the years in the printing industry to ensure we had quality screen printing, embroidery, booth signage, etc right out of the gate, so no learning curve there. The many repeat customers we had helped solidify the brand as well.

ST: What do you do to stand out from your competitors?

TM: We strive to provide the best customer service/experience. To this day, we hand write thank you notes to our customers on EVERY order. To us, that goes a long way in letting people know that we appreciate their decision to buy from us. Also, my artwork style is something a bit different from other brands. I’ve been doing shirt artwork for over 30 years now and have honed a style that stands out from the rest.

ST: Do you attend shows and if so about how many a year.

TM: We attend about 6-8 shows a year depending on our vacation schedules and travel time to get out to the shows we can make it to.

ST: Do you have or have/ had a custom vehicle? If so, give us an overview of what you own/ have owned.

TM: I currently own a 1999 Chevy Tahoe, static drop, custom paint, American Racing Salt Flat wheels painted to match the truck and more custom stuff to come in time.

TM:  Blake owned a 2001 Chevy S-10 on air ride that he custom painted himself. He’s got some serious skills when it comes to custom paint.

ST: Where can we buy your product?  

TM: You can find us online at www.asphaltarmy.com or possibly at a show near you.

ST: What is the future for your business?

TM: We’ve got a bunch of shirt designs in mind and we’d love to continue to bring our unique style and brand to the people as long as we continue to see demand.

ST: What advice you would give to anyone wanting to start a business.

TM: First and foremost…get out there and give it a shot, no matter what your age. We wanted to do it in our 20’s, and here we are, now in our 50’s and we’re doing this together, with family, which makes it a great way to spend time together. And most importantly don’t give up, especially when times get tough. Any business involves risk and a lot of “learning” along the way. When something isn’t working, try another approach until you find something that works. I’m always willing to talk to anyone and offer any advice I can based on what we have learned along the way.

ST: What do you think about the current and future state of the industry?

TM: With the economy the way it is, I would say the current state of the industry is fair, but the future certainly looks to be promising. Trucks are never going away and as long as new trucks keep coming out, we’ll have more new shirt ideas.

ST: Thank you for the interview and do you have any last parting words for our readers? 

TM: We would just like to thank everyone who has supported us and for the great friendships and business relationships we’ve made along the way. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing people wearing our brand! Thanks to my wife Marsha, Blakes’s wife Emily, and to our parents Steve and Frances for all their help and support the past 8 years. After Blake and I started this, mom and dad wanted to jump in and help so it’s now a family affair which gives us all a chance to connect at shows many times throughout the year since we live in different states.

TM: Please use code ST10 at checkout to get a 10% discount when ordering!