Local man's company sees T-shirts worn globally, on TV and by sports teams
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – From Columbus, Ohio to the United Kingdom, it's been anything but your typical story for Joe Hoye, the man behind Life Long Tees.
'I started out as an education major and then realized I didn't want to go to school for six years.' Joe Hoye, Life long Tees
Joe switched his focus to art and eventually to making T-shirts.
'I had a couple of friends who were really encouraging. One of them grew up here and played for the (Atlanta) Falcons and I started making shirts for the Falcons,' Hoye said. 'Just fun themes, shirts for their special teams or their defense. You know inside jokes that coaches were saying stuff like that. And it just kind of grew organically from there.'
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It's those organic relationships that helped to propel Hoye's business through the pandemic. A life-changing opportunity presented itself when he rolled his T-shirt shuttle into yellow springs at the request of Dave Chappelle
'Dave was great, it was a big surprise,' Hoye said.
Originally hired to make shirts for Dave Chapelle's friends and family at his birthday party, Hoye ended up spending four months printing shirts at his shows in Yellow Springs.
'That was Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and so I ended up calling some friends down and helped pull off the operation,' he said.
Live shows aren't the only places you'll see Hoye's designs. You can also catch them on shows like 'Always Sunny in Philadelphia.'
'I've counted over 50 shirts on Sunny alone and then there was some on 'Entourage'. They pop up all over the place.'
It's that relationship with 'Sunny' producer Megan Gantz and her husband Humphrey Ker from the show 'Welcome to Wrexham' that has Life Long Tees helping across the pond. Joining the fundraising efforts to support the Wrexham Miners Project in restoring a local recreation center which doubles as a rescue center for coal miners.
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'I reached out and I had an idea to auction off some of the shirts worn on Sunny. And so to see one get auctioned off for $600 is crazy.'
Hoye is making an impact and leaving a legacy one T-shirt at a time.
This weekend the fundraising for the Wrexham Miners Project continues at Sweeney's Walnut Street Tavern. Saturday at 10 a.m. Sweeney's is hosting a Wrexham AFC watch party with Wrexham Lager on tap.
A portion of the proceeds will go to the Wrexham Miner's Project and Hoye will be there with limited edition Wrexham Sweeney's pop up tees. For more information visit https://www.lifelongtees.com/.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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