30 Years of Doing It Our Way.

Started by family. Run by family values. Three decades of merch nobody asked us to make this good. We just keep showing up—unsupervised like a scrappy, feral '90s kid—and figuring it out. Doing what we want, how we want, and doing it better than the rest.

Plan a Drop or Program Get the 30-year series (Coming Soon)

(Still allergic to "tchotchkes".)

unsupervised since ‘96

This is our 30-Year Home Base.

Throughout 2026 we're sharing the projects, partners, and lessons that shaped Karst's first three decades — and the work we're building next. A founder letter, stories from defining projects, collaborations with Charleston-area designers, and a few drops we've been quietly excited about.

(We've been quietly excited about things since 1996. We're just finally telling people.)

Bookmark this page. We're adding to it through the year.

What started from frustration is now 30 years of intentional craft.

It started with a retired Charleston firefighter who couldn't find anyone local to make his Shriners uniforms right — so he did it himself. In 2003 his stepdaughter came home from Nashville, temporarily, and jumped in to help. Then a terrible accident. She ran the whole thing alone while he recovered — and by the time he came back, she'd rebuilt it. He saw what she'd done, said "you've got this," and headed back to the golf course.

She stayed.

Twenty-two years later, Karst is a WBENC-certified, Inc 5000 national agency running 60+ brand programs out of North Charleston — 98% retention, 12+ year average client tenure, and a bar that hasn't dropped since '96.

Three Decades .

No Permission Slips.

Anyone can hit 30 years by playing it safe. We got here by being a little obsessive about a few things — and refusing to sweat the rest.

STRATEGY & DESIGN FIRST. RETAIL-QUALITY FOLLOWS.

If we wouldn't put it in a store window, we don't want to put your logo on it. Design, materials, use, fit, sampling, packaging — the bar is the same whether it's a 50-piece capsule or a 50,000-piece program.

CATALOG NEVER.

We skip the 800-page catalogs and massive sites for a reason.Your brand deserves more than a bulk upload of options. Every project starts with a question: what are you actually trying to do?

BUILT TO REPEAT.

A great drop is fun. A great program is rare. We build for both — capsule launches today, recurring shops and programs that hold up quarter after quarter. The kind of work clients stay with.

"It took me almost ten years to find my people — the small group treating merch like a creative and strategic problem, not a procurement one. When I found them, I realized I'd been doing this in a novel way without knowing it."

— Michelle Harris, CEO (and Controller of Chaos)

Read the letter

Unsupervised Since 1996. The 30-Year Series.

New drops will appear on this page as they go live.

Founder Letter

"It took me almost ten years to find my people — "

Read the letter

THE PROJECTS THAT SHAPED US

Five pieces of work that taught us how to do this —told by the people who made them.

Coming soon

IN THE PRESS

Coverage from the milestone, plus our official press release.

Download

Grab the Playlist

We curated an anniversary playlist to take us back in time—check it out. This is our soundtrack for the year!

Press Play

Four Ways To Work With Us.

Launching a Moment? Let's go!

DROPS & SPRINTS

A 3–6 week capsules — concept, sampling, packaging, and launch plan. For a moment that needs to land, create scarcity and momentum.

MERCH PROGRAMS

Designed and curated collections for brands treating merch as an ongoing extension.

SHOP ENGINE

Online stores, fulfillment, and ongoing curation. We design it, run it, keep it fresh.

Activate On-Site

The immersive and interactive experience : Event activations and popups with merch built around the moment — the giant-camera-as-photo-booth, the on-site hat bar, the retail DIY pop-up that doesn't feel like a tradeshow.

Three Decades. Real Receipts.

(Yes, we kept the receipts.)

60+

active brand programs running today

12+ years

average client tenure

98%

client retention rate

"Karst is amazing, they really made our retail for our Festival come to life. The team is amazing to work with, patient, and extremely intentional with the retail options they provided us."

— Wine + Food

"We partnered with Karst and have utilized them for client and employee gifts as well as conference items and an amazing pop-up experience. Great to work with."

— PMAlliance

30 Years In.
Still Building.

Still Unsupervised.

The next chapter is about making merch programs easier to run — and harder to ignore. Smarter shops. Faster iteration. AI-supported workflows where they earn their place. A creative bar that doesn't bend.

Three decades of doing it our way. The next decade is going to be wilder.

If you're planning a drop, building an always-on shop, or leveling up a program for the year ahead, we'll help you do it with clarity and craft.

Plan a Drop or Program