40+ years of custom apparel in Sandy, Utah
Koala-Tees started as a one-woman screen-printing shop in 1983 and grew into a full-service printing and embroidery operation — still family-owned, still in Sandy, and still hands-on with every order.
Our story
It started with a flood and a stack of sandbags
In the spring of 1983, a record snowmelt sent floodwater through the Salt Lake area, and neighbors lined the streets filling sandbags. Wendy Schenck-Benson — then 23 and a college student — started printing keepsake designs onto burlap sandbags and selling them as “Sandbag Handbags.” They sold by the hundreds, and she was hooked on screen printing.
With a $1,500 loan from her grandfather and a set of used equipment in her parents' basement, she started Koala-Tees — cold-calling businesses and schools. She signed the shop's first commercial lease in 1986, and her husband Andrew later joined to run the embroidery side and the books. Through the '80s and '90s the shop added embroidery machines, automatic presses, and a growing crew.
Four decades in, we're still a hands-on, family-owned shop. We keep as much of every order in our own Sandy facility as we can, and we check the quality on what goes out the door — so a single shirt gets the same care as a bulk uniform run.
Peaks and valleys
Four decades, and still standing
Forty years in business means living through the good times and the hard ones. When the economy collapsed in 2007, Koala-Tees came close to closing. Wendy made the tough calls to keep the doors open — downsizing the space, selling off equipment, and running lean — then spent years rebuilding, eventually reinvesting in new automatic presses and embroidery machines and doing much of the work by hand alongside her husband. That grit is a big part of why we're still here, and why customers who have printed with us for decades keep coming back.
“At Koala-Tees we make it a point to fulfill our clients' needs. I am proud to call many of my clients my friends.” — Wendy Schenck-Benson, founder
Who we serve
Trusted by builders, schools & organizations across Utah
Construction companies have been the backbone of our business from the early days — Wendy broke into those male-dominated trades in the 1980s by showing up with samples and building real relationships. We also outfit schools, corporations, sports teams, and government agencies with uniforms, spirit wear, and branded apparel.
Construction companies
The backbone of our business for decades — safety tees, crew shirts, and jobsite gear, run after run.
Schools
Spirit wear, staff apparel, and team uniforms for schools across the Salt Lake Valley.
Corporations & teams
Branded apparel for company stores, corporate events, and sports teams of every size.
Government
Uniforms and branded gear for local government departments and agencies.
Giving back
Printing for New York after 9/11
In the days after September 11th, Wendy designed a commemorative shirt: a draped American flag with “USA” above it, the words “Strength · Courage · Compassion” around the border, and “American People Unite… In honor of those who lost their lives during the attack against our country” across the back. “I turned it the way it draped over the Pentagon wall,” she told the Deseret News.
Koala-Tees turned it into a fundraiser. The shirts sold for $6 at the shop and at Sandy fire stations, with volunteers and local firefighters pitching in to run the presses. More than 10,000 sold in the first week alone; the drive ultimately printed well over 20,000 shirts and raised roughly $60,000 for the families of the New York firefighters who died in the attacks — a donation Wendy delivered in person.
Koala-Tees in the press
- “T-shirts reap a harvest of dollars to aid victims” — Deseret News, 2001 ↗
Coverage of the 9/11 fundraiser shirt while the drive was underway.
- “Peaks and Valleys” — Impressions Magazine ↗
A profile of Koala-Tees' history and growth as a Utah decorator.
Ready to start your project?
Start your design online or request a quote — our team in Sandy is ready to help.