Cindy Scarborough was involved in the promo products industry before she even knew what it was. As the founder of Lubbock Greeter Service, she and four sales reps would visit companies in Lubbock, TX, to help them publicize to new families in the area. Whether it was assisting the power company by handing out logoed pot holders or the dry cleaner giving out branded fly swatters, Scarborough understood the power of logoed gear.

Front row: Jay and Jill Jacobus; 2nd row: Tory and Lee Bryant; third row: Stan and Amanda Scarborough; top row: Jack and Cindy Scarborough

That’s why she and her husband Jack launched Scarborough Specialties (asi/319940) in 1992. “I was nervous about it,” says daughter Jill Jacobus, who along with her brother Stan, was in college at the time. “My mom is Type A and super at sales while my dad is more organized and behind the scenes. They worked together perfectly.”

It was a family affair from the get-go: Jill, Stan and their sister Lee would file catalogs and form an assembly line in their house, stuffing goodie bags for clients. Polo shirts were top sellers, but their operation didn’t have embroidery at the time. “We’re in a college town and the emphasis is wearables-driven,” Stan says. “If you can’t sell a T-shirt in a college town, you’re in trouble.”

In the late 1990s, the family tree began sprouting throughout the company. Jill’s husband Jay came aboard offering marketing and technology ideas, eventually becoming CEO. Stan joined a year later to help implement production, bringing embroidery in-house. His wife Amanda followed suit and became a graphic artist. In 2002, Jill left teaching to take a sales position in the company. Lee and her husband Tory have gone on to manage the firm’s Midland, TX, location.

“None of us wanted to be in it,” Stan jokes. “We used to make fun of our parents. We’d go on vacation and our parents were more interested in the hats in the souvenir shop.”

In 2008, Jill and Stan bought Scarborough Specialties from their parents, and 10 years later, the company has grown to include 100 employees and associates in six locations throughout Texas. A proud Christian company, the entire staff is committed to community service. In December, the company will go on its fifth annual mission to El Salvador, where 10 people from various offices will drill a well while teaching residents about hygiene. “It’s not only bonding teamwork, but in that experience we see leadership rise,” Jill says.