Not all tariff stories are the same. 

Just over 12 years ago, while on active duty, Tyler Merritt founded Nine Line Apparel out of a garage, creating a brand of clothing dedicated to honoring service members.

It soon became a smash hit that didn’t resonate with just veterans and their families, but with millions of Americans who wanted to celebrate the sacrifices, grit, and selflessness of those who stepped up and served.

As the brand began taking off, Merritt said he set about learning to cut fabric and sew. Merritt, a now-retired Army Apache pilot and former mission commander, named the brand Nine Line after the military code word for getting wounded soldiers off the battlefield.

The first retail store was on a cobblestone street in Savannah, and in a couple of years, Nine Line began producing apparel out of a 60,000-square-foot facility. The company’s mission was not only to produce apparel that celebrated the United States and its service members but also to hire military veterans to make their products. Merritt was also committed to making sure Nine Line’s products were ethically sourced.