Back in 2011, at 19 years old and three months away from becoming a father, David Soto was looking for a job that would help him provide for his family. At the time, he didn’t have a car – hopping on a bus or his skateboard to get from point A to point B.

He heard about a distribution center position at Counselor Top 40 supplier Next Level Apparel (asi/73867) and decided to give it a go. The job helped put him on a firm financial footing – and purchase a car for his family – but it also gave him something he wasn’t necessarily expecting: a supportive, encouraging team and a clear career path.

Next Level Apparel (asi/73867) employees enjoy games and food at the annual holiday party.

“I was really given the opportunity to learn the full scope of the company,” Soto says. “Not every company is going to actually invest time in you. Not every company is going to push you or help you or give that support to, no pun intended, get you to that next level.”

Today, Soto has risen to the position of distribution supervisor and is helping his own team realize their growth potential. “I’m just trying to spread the wealth here,” he adds. That upward mobility and the chance to build a career are among the reasons so many employees choose to stay with Next Level Apparel, according to Soto.

Next Level Apparel was launched in 2003 by Joe Simsolo, who had come to the U.S. from Israel in 1980, first launching a denim brand, then founding a sublimation printing facility. After getting regular requests for higher-quality T-shirts, he founded Next Level, building a company known for its cool, fashion-forward styles. Simsolo retired last year, and Brett Björkman stepped in as CEO. Eric Simsolo, Joe’s son, has served as company president since 2024.

The supplier has changed a lot from its early days nearly a quarter of a century ago, but one thing that’s stayed constant, Eric Simsolo says, is the brand’s authenticity. “We’re very straightforward and frank with each other,” he says. “It brings people a level of comfort when we all know where we stand.”

As the company has grown, thanks in part to backing from private equity firm Blue Point Capital Partners, senior leadership has strived to keep “that special sauce” and tight-knit feeling of a family-owned company while embracing the positives of becoming a bigger company, such as more transparent reporting and deeper dives into company financials, Eric Simsolo says.

Next Level tries to promote from within whenever feasible, he adds, and offers a competitive benefits package. The company will bring in food trucks and catered meals occasionally to celebrate events and holidays with employees.

But one of the biggest perks, according to Eric Simsolo, comes from the nature of the business they’re in: “It’s fun working for a clothing company, in general,” he says. “You get to wear a lot of cool stuff, whether you receive it for free or at a deep discount.”

Plus, he adds, employees get a sense of pride when they recognize their brand being used for merch on a concert tour or as a uniform for a huge tech company. “You get to see all of the fun places where our stuff ends up,” he says.