Every great business begins with a story, and for byTomCat Custom Apparel, that story began almost by chance. As Catherine and Tom prepared for retirement from Civil Service and the Air Force Reserve, they knew they wanted their next chapter to be about more than slowing down. They wanted to continue serving others, building relationships, and creating something meaningful together.
A conversation with a friend in the sewing industry opened the door to custom apparel. What followed was months of research, planning, and careful consideration. Eventually, the couple realized they had found an opportunity that aligned with their values: combining craftsmanship and customer service while treating every client as a partner, not simply an order number.
Today, byTomCat serves businesses, military units, schools, nonprofits, families, and organizations with custom apparel and promotional products designed to celebrate milestones, build brands, and bring people together.
For Catherine and Tom, the most rewarding part is seeing a customer's reaction when a finished project finally comes to life. Whether it is a smile, tears of happiness, or the words, “This is exactly what I imagined,” those moments make the work worthwhile.
That personal approach is at the heart of the business. Every project represents something important—a business launch, a retirement, a school event, a family reunion, or a once-in-a-lifetime celebration. ByTomCat takes ideas that begin in someone's imagination and turns them into something tangible, wearable, and memorable.
What started as an unexpected opportunity has grown into a passion built around creativity, craftsmanship, and the relationships created along the way.
The custom apparel industry is constantly evolving, and byTomCat has embraced that change without losing sight of what matters most: quality and personal service.
From embroidery and direct-to-garment printing to direct-to-film and sublimation, today's technology offers customers more creative possibilities than ever. Artificial intelligence has also become a valuable starting point, helping clients turn ideas into visual concepts. But transforming that concept into a quality finished product still requires experience.
ByTomCat helps customers navigate everything from artwork and fabric to decoration methods, durability, and budget. Catherine's background in interior design has also shaped the way the team approaches each project. Rather than overwhelming clients with endless choices, they ask questions, listen carefully, and narrow the possibilities to the options that truly fit.
The result is a collaborative experience where customers feel understood—not simply sold to.
Sometimes exceptional customer service means going far beyond expectations. For byTomCat, it once meant driving nearly 1,600 miles in a single weekend.
When a customer's father's 60th birthday and retirement celebration approached, shipping delays threatened delivery of 50 custom patches. After multiple setbacks, the team recreated the patches in-house, working through the night to complete them by Saturday morning. Then they drove to San Antonio, arriving that evening with the finished patches in hand—just in time for the celebration.
It is a story that captures the philosophy behind byTomCat: relationships come first.
As the company grows and expands its capabilities, the vision remains personal. The goal is not simply to become the biggest custom apparel business, but to become the one customers trust first.
To place an order please call Tom and Cat Mason at 850-533-9778 or tomcat@bytomcat.com .
“Our job isn't to overwhelm people with options. It's to understand their vision, guide them through the process, and make bringing it to life easier.”