Custom T-shirt and apparel maker Underground Printing recently moved its headquarters and production facility from Ann Arbor to 1476 Seaver Way in Ypsilanti Township. About 200 employees moved into the facility, formerly occupied by exhaust system manufacturer Bosal, at the end of April. Co-founders Rishi Narayan and Ryan Gregg say they plan to start hiring more employees soon, after settling into their new digs.

The pair started the company in Narayan's dorm room as A-1 Screenprinting, moving to a facility in Chelsea and changing the name to Underground Printing in 2003. The company has since added 26 offices and retail outlets around the country, and has made several regional and national fastest-growing company lists. The company's headquarters have moved several times to various locations around Ann Arbor, most recently on the city's west side.

Gregg says the company had run out of space for both offices and production in its prior location. He and Narayan began looking for a new space in Washtenaw County. 

"We've been around the Washtenaw County area for quite some time, and for us the [question is] 'where can we grow and have opportunity for growth?'" Narayan says. "This is the next step for us."

The company's available space increased from 55,000 square feet at its former location to 172,000 square feet in the new one. Gregg says that will provide lots of room for the business to grow. The building is also on a large lot, offering space to expand if the company needs it.

Gregg says the new location is "just great," with proximity to both Ann Arbor and Detroit, free parking, and easy access to I-94.

"Coming out of COVID, where everyone has been all over the place or shut down, being able to bring everybody back together in one place here is fantastic," Gregg says. "We have a lot of pride in keeping manufacturing jobs here in Michigan."

Sarah Rigg is a freelance writer and editor in Ypsilanti Township and the project manager of On the Ground Ypsilanti. She joined Concentrate as a news writer in early 2017 and is an occasional contributor to other Issue Media Group publications. You may reach her at sarahrigg1@gmail.com.

Photos by Sarah Rigg.