Kelli Fisher went shopping at a T.J. Maxx department store in Plainview on a recent weekend and was pleasantly surprised by what she saw: it wasn’t the low, low prices or the glittering holiday decorations on display.
It was a simple T-shirt, but really not all that simple. It was one that Fisher and her company, Spectrum Designs in Port Washington, had helped create and get onto the shelves at the giant retailer. Fisher, 35, is marketing and development specialist at Spectrum Designs, a manufacturer of custom-printed clothing and apparel. The company seeks to hire people on the autism spectrum.
“It was so cool to see them,” Fisher told the Press. “It was really amazing.”
About 65% of Spectrum Designs’s 75 employees are autistic. Fisher, who has worked for the company for five years, is on the autism spectrum.
The T-shirts are available in 500 T.J. Maxx stores, including several on Long Island at outlets in New Hyde Park and Plainview. They will be available throughout this holiday season in different colors and with Spectrum Designs’ symbol, a Swoosh.
Patrick Bardsley, Spectrum Designs’s co-founder and CEO, told the Press that the deal started to come together about a year ago. A Spectrum sales representative, Daniel Gladstone, knew about Bioworld, a 25-year-old Manhattan-based company that is a pioneer in lifestyle and pop culture apparel and accessories.
“Bioworld reached out,” Bardsley said. “They came for a tour.”
The deal was for 10,000 Spectrum Designs shirts, the largest order in Spectrum’s 13-year history. Bioworld staff worked with Spectrum employees on the tee shirts.
Financially, the deal is a shot in the arm for Spectrum. Bardsley declined to say what the arrangement would mean in terms of sales for the company, but revenues, he said, have been shooting up. Sales are expected to be $6.5 million this year, up from $5.5 million in 2023. Bardsley said he expects sales to rise another 10% in 2025.
“It’s been big growth,” he said, which he attributed to work the company has done to promote itself on social media, as well as a growing recognition of the issues people with autism face in the workplace and society, and the need to help them.
According to U.S. government figures, nearly 85% of adults on the autism spectrum are unemployed.
The deal involving Bioworld, Spectrum and T.J. Maxx comes during National Disability Awareness Month, a period dedicated to recognizing the value of hiring disabled employees.
Jayson Mayes, senior director of marketing and intellectual property for Bioworld, said in a statement, “We are proud to be a part of the global community working to increase positive change throughout the marketplace. This collaboration is a testament to the power of inclusion and creativity, and we are excited to see these designs reach a wider audience.”
The Spectrum Designs marketing team, led by Fisher, has been busy of late.
In August, it posted a video on social media about the importance of hiring people with autism. The post recorded more than 23 million views, as well as additional orders of apparel.
The team earlier this year also released a television ad campaign aimed at promoting the company’s products and stating its mission to hire those on the spectrum.
The Nicholas Center, which helps train people diagnosed with autism and helps them find jobs, was established 11 years ago, at the exact same time as Spectrum Designs. Bardsley and two others were co-founders of both organizations.
Lee Anne Vetrone, director of development at the Nicholas Center, said in a statement to the Press, “The partnership with T.J. Maxx affords a valuable work opportunity for individuals who face unemployment and underengagement. This type of skills training and connection to purposeful and inclusive job experience extends a lifeline and hope to a deserving population.”
Bardsley said Spectrum is now seeing wider gains in the retail world. He said the company is “in talks” with Wal-Mart, the country’s largest retailer, hoping to land a deal to sell more tee shirts. He also said the company is looking to add staff and expand locations to New Jersey and Florida.
Fisher said her own path to success at the company had been challenging in her younger years,
“I struggled a lot when I was younger,” she said. “I was shy.” But now, she said, she is independent. “I live on my own.”
As for the T-shirts she saw at T.J. Maxx, Fisher said, “I had to buy them.”
