Thom & Mary Ellen
An Affair Of The Heart, Mind & Fun.
They were just out of college, in love, naive, and thought all it took to succeed was an original idea and hard work. And you know what, they were right!
College track teammates at Kansas State, Thom and Mary Ellen Vernon founded Fresh Produce. Thom participated in distance events, and Mary Ellen ran the sprints. Ironically, they've been running ever since - a business, that is. With just $15,000 in borrowed funds, vast entrepreneurial spirit, and a design and business degree between them, the couple began designing and selling high-end screen-printed t-shirts and custom jewelry to visitors from around the world at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Thom and Mary Ellen rented a bit of space in Long Beach, landed a few small accounts that were willing to take a big chance on them, and worked day and night carving out their niche to simply survive. Within four years, what began as a little unassuming line of cool custom t-shirts was a flourishing collection of colorful resortwear called Fresh Produce. And it was being sold in Nordstrom department stores, one of America's leading retail organizations!
Today, Thom and Mary Ellen Vernon are co-presidents, sharing both ownership and daily responsibility for Fresh Produce's growth and operations. The company racks up $50MM in sales annually and is on a continuous journey of expanding and enhancing their nationally known collections of year-round sportswear and resortwear. Their love of the ocean, the outdoors, their attraction to sun-washed colors, and their affection for working side by side, has become a lifelong passion for excellence, challenge, and how to keep it fun.