In 1983 short term partner Tommy Larkin (the L in LR) and Maurice "Spider" Razon (the R in LR), with the hard work of his wife Bertine Razon started what today is more than a 30 year old business.

 

Spider grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. where his family had a garment manufacturing business, and where he spent countless hours learning the trade.  In the early 1960s, after a stint in the U.S. Army, Spider and his friends Joe Anahory and Red Lang, best known as the "Dead End Kids" in racing circles, loaded up their top fuel dragster, hooked it up to their Chrysler limousine, and headed west...chasing good weather and drag strips to race on.

 

In the early 1980s Spider was VP of Milodon Engineering.  When they sold the company, and signed a non-competitive agreement, Spider went back to his roots, networked with contacts in the motorsports industries, and went back into the apparel business.  In the early years the company was involved primarily in embroidered apparel and worked closely with today's racing legends, corporations, and businesses nationwide.

Being self-employed allowed Spider and Bertine to  have the flexibility to care for their grandson...me, Eric Alton.  My dad worked in construction, and Mom worked in the corporate world.  Rather than send me off to child care, I was fortunate enough to spend my summers and holidays when I was not in school with my grandparents at "the shop". 

 

With my grandfather, Spider, I would go on errands, meet clients, and take trips to Los Angeles.  Heck, by the time I was eight years old I knew every freeway and short cut in the greater Los Angeles area.  At times it could get a little boring, but most of the time there was plenty to keep me occupied.  I watched closely, listened carefully, and learned so much without even realizing it until many years later.

 

In 1995 I was doing construction work with my father.  We had a very wet January, and I was getting "cabin fever".  I called Mammo (that's code for grandma Bertine), and Pappo (code for grandpa Spider) and asked if I could come to the shop and help out for a little while, just until the weather got better and I could get back to my construction job.  Well, the rest is history, and this was when I knew that all those years as a child had prepared me for what is now my career.  All of the staff was like family, I adapted quickly, and I learned from the best.  Over the past 20 years it's been a blast maintaining established business relationships and building new ones.

 

In 2007 our long term Van Nuys landlord informed us the building was for sale, and we had 90 days to find a new home for the business.  That's when we made the decision to move to Simi Valley, and at that time I saw that changes in the business were coming.  Having such a strong clientele in motorsports, and seeing the change in demand for embroidered pit crew shirts to sublimation, we stepped out of our comfort zone and stepped into the digital printing world and sublimated sports apparel.  Although we still offer the same services in embroidery, today we offer so much more and have a unique niche.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read this.  We look forward to providing service to your company, organization, race team, etc. for another 30+ years when maybe one of my daughters, or possibly a grandchild will learn from me and follow in my footsteps