by Dan Perkins

It's springtime; a time for outdoor activities - and regardless of what the activity might be, Tammy Solt is ready to suit people up in the proper attire.  Solt, a former Marine, has founded Team Camo Gear, a company that offers a colorful line of camouflage apparel.

Working with camouflage comes naturally for Solt.  She wore camouflage uniforms for seven years as a U.S. Marine. Now, as a newly married mother of three, she is determined to turn camouflage  into a fashion statement.

Solt always wanted to own her own business, but the demands of family life took precedent.  In recent years, she began searching for a business idea that she could get passionate about. Not too long ago, she decided to develop a line of camouflage clothing after noticing the growing appeal of camouflage gear among the general public. For Solt, the decision to establish a clothing line was a matter of connecting the dots.

"A while back, I attended a tailgating party and brought along a set of red camouflage shorts for a fellow tailgater," recalled Solt. "Immediately, people began asking me where I bought them. Then, one day, as I was getting ready to go to another game, it finally hit me.  I began to see the camouflage attire as the business opportunity." 

Another real passion of the former Marine is sports.  Solt is especially fond of college football and claims the Ohio State Buckeyes as her favorite team.  She connected a few more dots and concluded that she could form a business by combining the growing popularity of camouflage with her love of sports.  She founded Team Camo Gear to not only capitalize on the camouflage fad, but to achieve long-term success by marketing camouflage's ability to complement traditional sports attire.

Teaming with Family

As a young woman, Solt, who grew up in Columbus, Ohio, was eager to step out on her own.  In 1984, she joined the Marines - "right out of high school," for both practical reasons and for the adventure. She liked the Marines’ offer to pay for her college education and to provide her with opportunities to travel.

While in the Marines, Solt distinguished herself as a motor vehicle operator and a rifle and pistol range instructor, but she retired from the Marines in 1991, without completing her college education.  She returned to Columbus to deal with another major disappointment.  "Right after my second daughter was born, my husband and I divorced," said Solt who was left to raise her daughters alone.  She knew she had to take action if she wanted a promising future for herself and her daughters.  "It was at that time that I realized the only way I was going to make it was by earning a college degree," she continued.

With Marine-like determination, Solt enrolled at Franklin University, in Columbus, Ohio.  She pursued her education while working full-time and taking care of her two young daughters.  Two years later, in 1995, she graduated with a bachelors degree in business and human resources.  After taking several years off, she returned to school for an MBA, which she received in 1999.  "My daughter’s attended both graduation ceremonies," declared Solt proudly.  "I’ve always had a desire to start my own business, but going to school and family obligations required me to postpone that idea for many years," said Solt. 

Despite the disappointments and setbacks, life has dealt Solt a positive hand. Last year, she married a man who is not only committed to her, but is fully supportive of her desire to grow Team Camo Gear into a successful venture.

"I couldn’t have started without his help," said Solt of her husband, Greg Solt, a 37 year old business development executive. 

The two met through an Internet dating service about three years ago.  "Immediately, we realized that we had a lot in common," said Solt.  "He was in the Army while I was in the Marines. When we met, he was attending my alma mater, Franklin University, pursing his bachelor’s degree. We hit if off right away and after dating for about two years, we were married."

Solt's husband, Greg, is active in her business and brings skills that complement her own. "Luckily, he has strong computer and sales skills, which I lack," said Solt.  "I’m the organizer. We make a great team!"

While marriage has allowed Solt to assume risk that would otherwise be impossible for her, it has also enlarged her family and family responsibilities.  In addition to her two daughters, ages 15 and (soon to be) 13, Solt is now mother to a 10 year old step-son.

The additional family responsibilities have heightened the need for Solt to proceed cautiously with her business.  She is developing Team Camo Gear while continuing to work full-time.

"I work for the U.S. Government, Defense Logistics Agency – Defense Supply Center in Columbus," said Solt who is a procurement analyst in the automated systems branch.  "We support the military by supplying spare parts, clothing (camouflage), and fuel to all branches of the armed forces."

Although Solt is now marketing camouflage attire to civilians, she sees symmetry between her professional career path and her current entrepreneurial pursuits.  "It's like things have come full circle, from wearing green camouflage to selling colored camouflage," said Solt.

At age 40, Solt is applying lessons she learned in the Marines to stay focused.  When asked how she manages her business, work and a family, especially with two teenage daughters who are active in school and sports, Solt responded with Marine-like exactness, “you just adapt to your situation.”  Occasionally, that means extra long days and nights, but Solt is not complaining.  She is willing to work late into the night, if need be, to grow her business.

Suited for Success

Solt has developed a clothing line that is suited for both leisure and sports activities. "The gear is both rugged and stylish. Wear it on game day, hiking, paint-balling, rollerblading, or just for fun,” said Solt.

The clothing line includes t-shirts, pants, head wraps, jungle hats, skirts, and shorts for both men and women.  All garments are available in six colors - red, blue, purple, gray, orange and pink.  The colors match a variety of sports teams’ colors, making them the ideal complement to team apparel.

“The ultimate goal is to offer camouflage in colors that match any high school, college or professional sports team," said Solt who sees enormous growth opportunities in embroidering team names and mascots on her apparel line.  She believes high schools, marching bands, and booster clubs will find her clothing line especially appealing.

Before launching her business, Solt sought help from the Small Business Administration (SBA), which referred her to SCORE, a non-profit organization that partners with the SBA to help entrepreneurs establish and grow successful businesses.  Solt credits her SCORE counselor with giving her helpful advice.

Solt is now seeking manufacturers to help her expand the range of colors offered by Team Camo Gear, which she recently had certified as Woman-owned Business Enterprise (WBE). 

Team Camo Gear received national certification from the Women’s Business Enterprise Council-Southeast Division, a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).  WBENC’s certification is a meticulous process that includes an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm that a business is at least 51 percent owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women. The certification allows Solt to pursue business opportunities with organizations that have supplier diversity programs.  These programs seek to increase procurement opportunities for businesses that are owned by minorities and women.

Going Beyond Business

Although Solt is committed to growing her business, she also believes in giving back to the community. For every pink camouflage t-shirt purchased, Team Camo Gear will donate one dollar to the Stefanie Spielman Fund for Breast Cancer Research at the Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute. The center is located on the campus of Ohio State University and is one of only 39 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States and the only freestanding cancer hospital in the Midwest.

“What better way to get people talking about important health issues than through a fun and unique product that screams “pink” – the (color) of breast cancer awareness,” said Solt in a company press release. "One hundred percent of each donation will go to breast cancer research."

Solt’s pink camouflage campaign recently got a boost from the U.S. Angels, a charitable group of women motorcycle enthusiasts based in the Washington, D.C. area.  The group attends events to increase awareness of wounded soldiers returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The cyclists also appear in a rather "colorful" calendar that has raised funds for Fisher House - a total of 32 housing facilities located around the country that allow families of the wounded to be close to their loved ones while they receive medical care.

Solt is delighted to have her camouflage attire worn in support of important social causes, but she also wants people to wear her clothing line just for fun.  “At Team Camo Gear, we are redefining camouflage,” declared Solt. "It's not about blending in; it's about standing out!" 

The entire camouflage line is available on the company’s website, which is located at www.teamcamogear.com.  Selling apparel via the Internet has enabled Solt to grow her business at a comfortable pace and to teach her daughters a valuable lesson.

"Having a web-based business allows me to learn new skills and do the business on my time," said Solt.  "More importantly, I am able to teach my daughters that you don’t always have to take the traditional route; there are opportunities around every corner.  You just have to decide what you want to do and take action.  Get out of your comfort zone and take a few chances. You only live once!" 

The End