Moms run this Lee’s Summit print shop, going the ‘extra mile’ for the community

A business built on creativity, spirit wear and family got its start in Gina Seibel’s Lee’s Summit basement around 11 years ago. Since then, KC Swagger has blossomed into a print shop specializing in customized apparel for schools, companies, churches and organizations.

Emphasizing a family-friendly schedule has always been an integral part of KC Swagger. The staff, made up of around 10 local mothers, are able to work at KC Swagger and still be home when their children return from school each day.

“I like to celebrate that we are all working moms and believe that makes us unique,” Seibel said about the difference between her shop and the traditionally male-dominated print industry.

“The fact that it’s a bunch of moms makes it fun and it allows them to come to work while their kids are at school.”

Seibel, who grew up in Lee’s Summit, received an up-close view of her family’s successful business as the daughter of Steve and Sue Tominia, owner of Cameron’s furniture and home decor. The downtown Lee’s Summit store closed several years ago when her parents retired. Before then, it had been a popular shopping destination for several decades.

“My parents and sister (Amy Robertson) really modeled the importance of community and relationships,” said Seibel, who didn’t choose to go into the family business. Instead, she worked in marketing and communications for local organizations such as Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street and the Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce.

“Anytime the Chamber would have events I would design T-shirts,” Seibel said, “and then I started doing T-shirts on the side. After the kids went to bed, I would go down to the basement and go to work. I was working two jobs and raising little kids.”

After around a year of balancing these roles, she left the Chamber in 2016 to devote her time to the T-shirt and apparel print business. KC Swagger moved into its first commercial location in 2020, outgrowing that space two years later and opening its 2,000-square-foot warehouse at 2601 NE McBaine Drive.

The warehouse has room for KC Swagger’s heat presses, industrial dryer and six-color screen printing press as well as a large table where the employees pack orders.

“We use a green printing technology for screen printing,” Seibel added, “and don’t do the traditional chemical screen burning so we’re not washing dirty chemicals down a drain.”

KC Swagger’s products include everything from T-shirts and sweatshirts to bags and hats, with the majority of the shop’s selections available through individual online spirit stores offered for schools, sports teams, churches and other organizations. The shop’s print services include screen print, plastisol transfers, direct to film, embroidery, patches and heat-transfer vinyl.

A selling point for the print shop is its ability to offer a one-stop, stress-free experience for customers, Seibel said.

“We try to go the extra mile for people,” she added. “They can order apparel at an online pop-up store just for their organization for two weeks, and then we print all the orders and sort and bag them.”

Kansas City-themed spirit wear from KC Swagger is also available at several Amy’s Hallmark stores, including locations in Crown Center, the University of Kansas Medical Center gift shop, Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs.

Although KC Swagger has expanded well beyond its early days in a Lee’s Summit basement, Seibel said she’s held onto the design work.

“I love the design aspect of it,” she added. “And working with the client and bringing their ideas to life. That’s what brings me joy.”

The local designer also enjoys seeing her creations within the community.

“For me the biggest high is seeing someone actively wanting to wear something that you and your team created,” Seibel said. “It sounds silly but T-shirts build such a sense of community. It’s a fun business to be in.”

As a part of the Lee’s Summit community, the business owner said she is grateful for the many orders from local organizations and individuals with the majority of her new business coming from word of mouth.

“The way Lee’s Summit supports their local businesses is incredible,” she said. “Lee’s Summit has always been so supportive and tied into each other.”

To learn more about KC Swagger, Seibel recommends visiting the shop’s website or following on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok for “behind-the-scenes printing videos and silly shenanigans.”

“It’s a community for all of us,” she said. “I love being able to employ moms so they have a sense of community and then go back to their mom duties.”

Although Seibel has her own office, she usually can be found on her laptop in the busy warehouse space among her co–workers.

“I’m lucky,” she added. “I get to come to work every day and work with my friends.”

This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 5:00 AM.