Bow Tie Friday: Volunteer Traditions

For this week's Bow Tie Friday, I reached out to my buddy Mason Jones at Volunteer Traditions. It is only appropriate that I feature a great Tennessee company after just arriving back home in Memphis. Volunteer Traditions brings pride back to the states, a truly Southern way of life. They feature great accessories like bow ties, belts, key chains, and koozies as well as AWESOME shirts. One of my personal favorites are the different versions of the Tennessee flag (various colors) that are perfect for your upcoming tailgating needs. I also hear that they will have some great stuff coming out next week so you should definitely check it out!

YOUR NAME:

Mason Jones

HOMETOWN:

White House, TN

CURRENT CITY:

Nashville, TN

ALMA MATER:

I studied business at the University of Tennessee

WHEN WAS YOUR COMPANY ESTABLISHED?

2006

WHY VOLUNTEER TRADITIONS?

Back when we created the brand the only thing that was being made was South Carolina merchandise. South Carolina's flag features the Palmetto & Crescent Moon and is called the Palmetto State. So, we looked at the state of Tennessee, which nickname is the "Volunteer State",  and thought it would make the most sense to build off that concept.

WHAT GOT YOU STARTED?

We honestly just wanted to make Tennessee Flag Belts as we saw a variety of South Carolina products and believed that Tennessee needed the quality products that didn't look like they came from Gatlinburg....you know the outline of a state with a guitar/bass fish/etc jumping out of the state.

When we got the belts in, it was obvious that people loved the concept and we made hats and ties shortly after featuring the "Tristar" image/ It's such a clean design, and the circle with 3 stars looks awesome on a hat/tie/tee due to the basic concept and balance.

As we grew, we set out to make designs that were original for each state featuring the intricate designs of the state's flag within the outline of the state. Some were easier/better received than others due to the nature of the state's flag.

WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN IF YOU HAD TO START OVER?

We have had a blast making our products the past couple of years. We have really enjoyed seeing how passionate people are about where they are from, not only in Tennessee, but all over The South.

WHAT IS YOUR JAM?

Tough question...people tell me that I like terrible music. Either "In a Big Country" by Big Country or "Deep As It Is Wide" by Eric Paslay. 

WHAT FOOTBALL TEAM ARE YOU READY TO SEE TAKE THE FIELD?

Tennessee, since I spent the better half of a decade there.