Hometown Pride Shines at Grand Opening of JT’s Custom Apparel on Claremont Avenue
ASHLAND — The air outside may have been cold, but inside JT’s Custom Apparel the atmosphere was glowing with warmth and excitement as nearly 30 friends, family members, community leaders, and longtime customers gathered on Claremont Avenue to officially welcome the business to its new brick-and-mortar home at 615 Claremont Ave.
The beloved custom-shirt creators—Jeff and Teri Huff—have been a familiar sight for years at the Richland Mall during the holiday season and at the Ashland County Fair. But on Wednesday, the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Matt Miller, and a crowd of well-wishers helped usher the hometown couple into their next chapter: a permanent storefront right here in the heart of Ashland.
It was a celebration filled with laughter, shared memories, and the unmistakable pride that comes when local people invest in the town they love.
“Ashland Is Our Home”
Inside the shop—wall-to-wall with thousands of shirts in every imaginable color, size, and design—co-owner Jeff Huff shared the journey that brought JT’s Custom Apparel from a mobile business on the fair circuit to a year-round presence in Ashland.
“About 12 years ago, my wife and another girl bought into this business from an existing business, the Shirt Corral,” Jeff explained. “When COVID hit, our business partner wanted to get out, so we bought them out. We’ve been running it ourselves ever since.”
For years, the couple traveled to roughly a dozen fairs every summer. During the winter months, they set up shop at the Richland Mall—an Ashland-area tradition for more than three decades. But when the mall began shifting toward entertainment venues, their customers had a harder time finding them.
“So we looked around the city of Ashland, which is our hometown, and we found this location on Claremont,” Jeff said. “So far, it’s been a great blessing.”
A Personalized Shopping Experience Like No Other
JT’s Custom Apparel offers a unique service: personalized shirt creation while you wait.
“If you want to do a one-off shirt, we’ll take the time and do one,” Jeff said. “If you want 100, we’ll do 100.
“If we don’t have the design you want, you sit down with my wife in the office, and she’ll get inside your mind—your ideas, your thoughts. She’ll design it right on the computer while you watch. When you say, ‘That’s it!’ we put it on a shirt right here on the spot.”
Their custom creations have supported cancer fundraisers, local small businesses, athletic events, family reunions, birthdays, and anything else the imagination allows.
The shop carries tank tops, sweatshirts, and soon sweatpants, making it a year-round destination—not just a seasonal stop during fair season.
A Special Moment for the Mayor
One of the most heartwarming highlights of the grand opening came when Teri Huff presented Mayor Matt Miller with a custom shirt designed especially for him.
Styled after the popular holiday saying “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” the shirt instead read:
“The Most Wonderful Mayor of the Year.”
It drew big laughs—and bigger smiles—from everyone in attendance, including the mayor himself.
The ribbon cutting was more than a business milestone—it was a homecoming.
“We love this town,” Jeff said. “We were both born and raised here. And no matter where we are in Ohio, our followers always find us—they even come in the shop now saying, ‘You can’t hide from us, we find you!’”
As we wrapped up the interview, Jeff offered one more message to the Ashland community:
“You don’t have to purchase anything—just stop in and say hi. See who we are, what we do, and help spread the word. We’re tucked right behind Subway on the lower level. Come see us anytime.”
With a welcoming hometown spirit, an incredible selection of shirts, and owners who pour heart into every customer interaction, JT’s Custom Apparel is already shaping up to be one of Ashland’s newest local treasures.
JT’s Custom Apparel
📍 615 Claremont Ave., Ashland, Ohio
📞 567-203-7740
👕 Custom shirts & on-the-spot design
🎉 Family-owned, Ashland-born, community-loved
