What we do / Custom projects
Custom product development.
Most of what we do starts from something that already exists: the right mug, tote, jacket, or notebook, chosen from thousands of options, decorated correctly, and delivered on time. That isn’t a smaller version of the work. Picking the right thing, confirming it will actually hold up, and catching the problems before they become the client’s problem is where most of our judgment gets used, on projects of every size.
This page is about the other kind of work: when something doesn’t exist yet and has to be built. A founder turning a first product idea into something a factory can actually run. A company that wants a plush mascot in its exact brand colors. A garden store commissioning a wine bottle shaped and molded for its brand alone, not another label on stock glass. The common thread isn’t scale: nothing in a catalog will get you there, so the question becomes whether and how to manufacture it.
Addiss Enterprises has been doing this kind of work since Pat Addiss founded the company as a costume designer who understood how physical objects are made. The promotional products industry has a quieter layer of suppliers who are themselves manufacturers, or who work directly with overseas factories on custom development. Knowing which factory to approach, what a realistic minimum order looks like, how to interpret a tech pack, and where the risk lives in an international production run is a different skill than sourcing from a catalog.
What’s involved
What custom work typically involves.
Custom work typically starts with design inputs: artwork, tech packs, CAD files, concept sketches, or reference products. The more specific the inputs, the cleaner the production path.
Production minimums reflect tooling costs. Custom work commonly runs from 500 to 10,000-plus units, depending on the product and the factory. Timelines run longer than standard orders: eight to sixteen weeks is typical, factoring in design review, sample rounds, production, and shipping.
Overseas production introduces customs, duties, and logistics that domestic work doesn’t. And for anything involving a custom design, trademark and IP considerations matter, particularly for mascot work, licensed products, or anything where the design itself has legal significance. Wendy’s background as a trademark attorney shaped how Addiss Enterprises handles this category, and that institutional knowledge carries forward.
Who this is for
Who this is for.
Clients with a specific product in mind rather than a need to browse. That might be an organization developing a custom mascot item for retail, an inventor needing a first production run, an institution commissioning a milestone object, a growing company building its first physical product, or a brand that wants something specific enough that only building it will do: a wine bottle shaped for one label, a mascot rendered as a plush. If you’re describing what you want by referring to Pantone codes, dimensions, materials, or existing reference products rather than searching a catalog, you’re probably looking for custom work.
Custom projects are also the kind of work where judgment matters most. A bad vendor, a poorly managed proof cycle, or a missed tooling detail can turn a six-month timeline into a failed order. It’s where fifty years of relationships and habits of rigor pay off most clearly.
How it works
Custom projects follow a similar rhythm to standard work, but every stage runs longer by design.
01. Conversation
We learn what you’re trying to accomplish, who it’s for, and what constraints matter most.
02. Sourcing and sampling
We identify the right factory or manufacturer, confirm capabilities, and manage sample rounds until the product is right.
03. Production
We manage the order from production approval through delivery, including logistics, customs, and final inspection.
04. Delivery
Kitting, fulfillment, or direct shipment, coordinated to match your event or distribution timeline.
Have an unusual project in mind?
Custom work starts with the same first step as standard work: a conversation. Tell us what you’re trying to accomplish and we’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit.