Lone Star Roots celebrates Texas merchandise in Frisco store | Community Impact
What started as an idea among family members has transformed into a successful business, said Carrie Ermence, Lone Star Roots founder and CEO.
“This idea was one our family had for many years,” Ermence said.
Located within Frisco Mercantile, Lone Star Roots sells T-shirts, aprons, coasters and more.
The backstory
The family applied for the Lone Star Roots trademark in 2016, Ermence said, but between her and her husband’s careers and their children’s school activities, they didn’t complete it. They resumed the process at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Once awarded the trademark, Ermence said she and her family “got busy” with the company.
The logo, Texas with a heart over the Dallas/Fort Worth metro, is a nod to Ermence’s father, who died in 2019 from heart disease.
“I wanted to do a gentle nod to [my father] because he had the best seven years of his life in Texas,” Ermence said, adding that she and her family are originally from Chicago but relocated to Texas beginning in 2006.
What’s special about it?
Lone Star Roots celebrates all things Texas with a focus on family and fun, Ermence said.
“We think of ourselves as Texas pride with a whole lot of humor,” Ermence said. “Everything that we do has to be made in Texas or touched in Texas in some way.”
Ermence collaborates with local and statewide businesses to bring customers “the best of Texas.”
“You don’t have to go to Austin to get an Austin coaster,” Ermence said. “You don’t have to go to El Arroyo to get their [merchandise]. We carry it.”
In addition, Lone Star Roots also creates and sells clothing that is printed in Texas. Ermence said she works with The Colored Ribbon, a local woman-owned business that helps with graphic design and prints the clothing.
What else?
Ermence believes in giving back to the community and serves on the board for Refresh Texas, a nonprofit dedicated to providing hygiene items to children in need. In addition, Ermence is the co-chair for Women Enhancing Business in the Frisco Chamber of Commerce and serves as a chamber ambassador.
- 8980 Preston Road, Ste. 411, Frisco
- www.lonestarroots.com
By Dustin Butler
Feature Reporter