Ramble & Company began 10 years ago when a boy and a girl took a simple spring break camping trip to wander and have fun. That is where the dreaming began. That dream started out as a way to pay for the last year of college for Kathryn Hagar, and has grown into a thriving business that she and her husband, Ryan, co-own.
And the business has had a recent overhaul. Little H Creative was the name of that business, but now it has been renamed Ramble & Company and is now located in a large renovated building at 822 Indiana Avenue in the downtown area.
“We originally sold kids apparel, but we grew out of that; and we grew out of the name. One of the reasons we wanted to re-brand was to expand our apparel line outside of Wichita Falls,” Kathryn explained.
“Since we changed our brand in May we are now in 55 locations. We hope to have 100 before the end of the year. Shockingly not many of them are in Texas,” she said. The business now sells graphic tees for adults, apparel, tea towels, mugs, stationary, tote bags, clutches and pencil bags.
They had a humble beginning. To pay for the last year of college, she bought the business from her uncle. He hadn’t screen printed in years and the equipment was sitting in his garage. Since then they have replaced all the equipment.
“It is hands on and fun,” she said with a smile. “I grew up on a farm, and working and entrepreneurship is always something I have been around. After I graduated from college, I had a full-time job, but when I left it in 2015, I screen printed, did graphic design work and photography from home, and I had a booth at the Alley Cat. In 2016 we rented from LaSalle Apartments and opened a small retail store and continued to screen print from home. In 2017 we purchased this building, renovated it and moved all our services here. We also rent vendor space.”
The store is very welcoming with a mural on one wall painted by a local artist, and comfortable antique couch to comfortably mull over your purchases. Ramble & Company has around 25 local vendors and 10 curated vendors from around the country. All the goods are handmade by artisans, with offerings such as skirts from Guatemala, hand crafted leather, candles, ear rings, cut flowers, cutting boards, art, stained glass and even cookies that are fresh baked in Wichita Falls. Ramble & Company also retail their items, selling graphic tees for adults, apparel, tea towels, mugs, stationary, tote bags, clutches and pencil bags.
Kathryn and Ryan have 3 girls and are very community orientated. In fact, they spend money to create activities for people to do during the After Hours Art Walks. Their website states that they find joy in playing outside with their children, planting flowers in their fairy garden, and hosting events at their store. They love their time together as a family and with the community they are building around their business. They encourage people to be an example for every age and to believe in something bigger and better than themselves.
-Cindy Thomas
