Founder Meg Benben was inspired to enter the business in 1976 while working as an elementary art teacher in metro St. Louis. That spring, the European-made uniforms for the elite NCAA Division I soccer team at SIU-Edwardsville were stolen and the team suddenly faced a new season with no uniforms.

Her fiancé, Rick Benben, then the team’s grad assistant, turned to Meg with a question: “Could she make two custom uniform sets in time for the fall season?” She agreed to the “save.” She only needed jerseys and shorts to make patterns and an adequate supply of material.

One save led to another, and soon demand for her exceptional designs and remarkable service compelled her to leave the teaching profession and officially launch Benben Sportswear. In January 1979, she purchased commercial sewing machines, hired her first employees and started building long-term supplier relationships