Lewes gets branded
L Town Surf and Earth apparel company owner Cory Schab said growing up in Lewes made him who he is today.
A 2006 graduate of Cape High, Schab is an artist, surfer and budding entrepreneur, all in addition to his life as a marine biology graduate student at the University of Delaware campus in his hometown.
Growing up in a small coastal community like Lewes, he said, created a lifelong love for the oceans and a respect for the environment that he hopes to carry over into the L Town Surf and Earth company he created in homage to his hometown.
“Mainly growing up here opened up a lot of opportunity,” Schab said. “It is a close community and growing up here opened up a passion for the ocean. Because this is a fairly big tourist area, I wanted to open up that passion for those coming to the beach.”
Schab said after he created some hallmark designs, he officially launched the business in 2011 with a small inventory of earth-friendly, sustainably made apparel and stickers featuring artwork inspired by the sights and laid-back vibe of Lewes beach,
Since then, the L Town brand has largely grown on its own, he said, but with some recent marketing moves in social media along with a sponsorship of the recent Zap amateur World Championships of Skimboarding, the brand is picking up steam.
“This summer it’s been slow but steady,” Schab said. “Before this, it was all word-of-mouth, but now I’m going to take it to the next level as far as marketing.”
Eventually he is looking to grow beyond his current collection – five men’s designs and three women’s designs in an array of colors – but for now, Schab said, between his online sales and the retail sales of his apparel at Shorebreak in Lewes, the one-man-operation stays busy.
Beyond hometown pride and surfer chic evident in his designs, Schab said he wanted to create a company that would be eco-conscious to help sustain his greatest inspiration for the business, the oceans themselves.
“My audience is anyone who appreciates the ocean and also the environment,” he said.
Shorebreak owner and L Town retailer Josh Barr said in the two years he’s carried L Town products, he can attest to the wide appeal of the brand.
“It really has kind of surprised me how much it appeals to a broad audience,” Barr said. “Everybody has found something they like about it.”
While some customers are in it because the company is environmentally friendly, he said, others just love the local story attached to the new brand.
“People come in and they see the designs he does, then they find out Corey is a local kid,” Barr said “When they find out the story behind it, they really like that.”
L Town Surf and Earth apparel and stickers are available at Shorebreak men’s apparel, located near the intersection of Second Street and Savannah Road, as well as at the online store: www.ltowncs.com.
