In the dimly lit basement of his college house at Keene State, Tim Pipp stapled mesh onto a painting frame, unknowingly crafting the first artifact of what would become a screen-printing empire. Today, Beeze Tees is a multimillion-dollar custom apparel business with a footprint far beyond its humble beginnings, built on ambition, adaptability, and an insatiable drive for entrepreneurship.
Pipp, a graphic design major and collegiate cross-country runner, didn’t set out with a business plan or even a company name. He just wanted to learn how to screen print. His coach had been a screen printer before turning to coaching, and after four years of hearing him lament that none of his athletes had picked up the trade, Pipp took it upon himself to figure it out. Armed with YouTube tutorials, blogs, and a mentor he found through a teammate’s father, he began experimenting. His first creation, a shirt emblazoned with the phrase “I’ve Got More Miles Than Your Car,” sold out the same night he wore it to a bowling alley.
Pipp’s side project didn’t take long to turn into something tangible. “I was pretty ambitious in college,” he admits. “I was captain of the cross-country team, had three jobs on campus, and was the executive editor of the newspaper. I just liked doing things.” The momentum was already there, and as soon as he realized people were willing to pay for his designs, his hobby quickly morphed into a full-fledged operation.
The Relentless Grind of Growth
The early days of Beeze Tees were defined by long nights in the basement, punctuated by phone calls to his mentors and family for advice. Within weeks, he was reaching out to local road races and organizations, hustling to secure orders. By the time he graduated, he had scaled back his coursework to part-time status, dedicating himself full-time to printing. “I didn’t even have a logo. I just started doing it,” he says.
A move out of his college house was inevitable. A relationship milestone—moving in with his girlfriend—coincided with his first major business milestone: securing a warehouse space. From there, growth was rapid. He expanded to Keene’s Main Street, opened a second location in Manchester, and steadily built a team to support the demand. Along the way, he navigated the risks and realities of hiring, learning quickly that delegation was necessary if he wanted to keep up with the pace of his own ambition.
“I slid into everything,” he admits. “There was no clear-cut, strategic plan. I was on the phone, looking at my equipment, realizing, ‘Wait, this isn’t running when I’m on the phone. I need someone to do this.’ And then I hired my first employee.” Some hires worked out. Others didn’t. But each step brought him closer to an operational structure that could sustain itself.
Expansion Beyond Screen Printing
Fifteen years in, Beeze Tees has evolved far beyond a one-man basement operation. The company has ventured into B2B printing with DTF New England, catering to competitors who were once untouchable. “Before, if you were in screen printing, we didn’t talk,” Pipp explains. “Now, I want to talk to you the most.”
His portfolio has also expanded into retail with Lift Free Clothing, a lifestyle brand that takes advantage of his existing production capabilities. And he isn’t stopping there—growth through acquisition is the next move. “I’m talking to businesses about potentially buying them,” he reveals. “A lot of these are family-run shops where the owner wants to retire but doesn’t want to just shut down.” He sees opportunity in consolidation, in absorbing smaller operations into his already well-oiled machine.
The biggest constraint? Space. “Our 8,000-square-foot warehouse is jam-packed,” he says. “When we’re busy, it’s too chaotic. We need a bigger facility.” Within two years, he anticipates relocating to accommodate the company’s continued expansion.
The Art of Building Something New—Again and Again
What’s striking about Pipp’s journey is not just his relentless work ethic but his compulsion to keep creating. “I like building businesses,” he says matter-of-factly. His newest venture? 3D-printed toys. It started as a hobby, but true to form, he found a way to monetize it, selling at holiday markets and local fairs. “Why wouldn’t you?” he asks.
The same entrepreneurial itch that led him to screen printing keeps pushing him toward new frontiers. He dreams of hitting $10 million in revenue, not for the financial reward but for the challenge of making Beeze Tees a truly self-sustaining machine. “At that level, it’s a smooth-driving operation,” he explains. “That’s what I want to see.”
A Simple Truth: Just Start
Pipp’s story isn’t just about screen printing; it’s about the essence of entrepreneurship itself. He sees endless opportunities, particularly in small-town America, where legacy businesses age out and industries stagnate. “There’s so much room for simple, straightforward business ideas,” he says. “People get caught up in needing a website, a name, a whole plan. You don’t need all that. Just start.”
As he looks to the future, Pipp isn’t sure where the next decade will take him. Maybe he’ll pass Beeze Tees on to his daughter, maybe he’ll sell it and retire. For now, though, he’s having too much fun building. Whether it’s custom T-shirts, B2B fulfillment, lifestyle brands, or 3D-printed frogs, the thrill is in the creation.
“Entrepreneurship is like a disease,” he jokes. “You can’t turn it off.”
And for Pipp, that’s exactly the way he likes it.
