How it all began-

E|M Local is a story in the making.  We feel like it’s being written as you read this!

Lots of people ask where E|M Local’s name came from.  The EM in E|M Local are the first and middle initials of my maternal grandmother, Ellen Meade Binkley. I was fortunate to grow-up in the same town as all my grandparents, and only a few minutes’ drive to my Papa and Grandma Binkley’s house. Their house, on Shady Lane in Lexington, KY, was a place of joyful welcome and acceptance without condition. I loved spending time with my grandparents, and I keep an extra special place in my heart for my Grandma Binkley. When I was with her, I knew I belonged to something special that required no performance. 

I was married in 2002 and became a mother in 2005. My husband, Jason, and I now have four children. I stayed home while my kids were young and knew I’d work again when our youngest started school. Before returning to my pre-mom accounting profession, I wondered if I could financially contribute to my family while doing something that I love…Creating!! Thanks to the gift of my first Silhouette Cameo, the support of my husband, and a heaping tablespoon of gumption, I took the chance I had and started my own business in the form of Ellen Meade Boutique.
Personalized bunnies and bunny t-shirts were the first items I had the courage to sell during Easter 2014. The bunnies sold which led to cutesy custom tees sold in Facebook groups for over year. Before I knew it, I had gained an education in embellishing t-shirts thanks to many google searches, YouTube tutorials, and my fair share of trial and error.

The day came too early when my daughter didn’t want to wear my cutesy boutique designs anymore, so they became less and less fun to make.  Conveniently around the same time I found myself spending more and more days at the ball fields with my boys. As my little ones grew up, so did my hobby turn business.  I recognized a ‘hole in the market’ for local fanwear, and quickly launched Ellen Meade Fanwear. This was well received by the local rec sport leagues! A couple months later, I took another big leap.  I purchased, designed, embellished and launched an entire inventory of Suwanee Town Wear for my hometown’s fall festival, Suwanee Fest 2016. And Suwanee bought it up…this is when I learned that the ‘smaller town’ wants to wear where they ACTUALLY belong rather than the largest city or college town in their state.  

And with this E|M Local was born. 

Over the past three years, I added four more towns while continuing to test the ‘smaller town’ apparel concept.  Sales have spoken and it looks like the smaller town wants quality local wears! This brings us to today.     

E|M Local launched its wholesale division first quarter 2020 thanks to the belief and dedication of our newly established team.  Marci -a wife, mom of four, who I met at church before we had kids, Jaclyn- a wife, mom of four, my neighbor and all around ‘go-to-girl’, and Amanda- a wife, mom of one, and my customer turned friend have all given of their time and expertise to help EM Local take its biggest leap yet.  I am grateful to these three who saw potential in E|M Local and believed it had way more to offer. 

We aim to expand our local apparel lines to every ‘smaller town’ while building community and celebrating that everybody has aplace where they belong.  Defined simply by an address.  You live in a town? You belong in that town.  The people who live in your town, they belong there too.  There are no skills required. No performances. No membership.  Simply by existing we all belong.

We invite you to come along and wear where you belong.

-Janice Osborne