What It Looks Like When Your Merch Team Isn't a Vendor.
Three years embedded with Baker Group — every department, every milestone, every job site. From Carhartt-built field jackets to a 60th-anniversary beer brewed in Des Moines.
Meet Baker Group.
Baker Group is one of the Midwest's largest employee-owned specialty contractors. Headquartered near Des Moines, Iowa, with roots that go back to 1963, Baker handles mechanical, electrical, plumbing, building automation, life safety, custom metals, and service work across commercial, industrial, and mission critical sectors. Nearly 1,500 employees. A company that built itself the same way its crews build buildings, one detail at a time.
Baker's brand isn't loud. It's earned. Decades in the field. A founder story that started with Bernie and Berniece Baker building a small steamfitting business in Lee Township and growing it into a Midwest powerhouse. That story still shows up in unexpected places, like the "Lee Township Against the World" beer Baker created with a local brewery. The phrase isn't a tagline. It's a worldview. When a company carries that kind of culture, the merch can't feel like an afterthought. It has to carry the same weight.
Not a Vendor. An Embedded Team.
Most merch programs start with an order form. Baker started with a phone call about three years ago that turned into something different. Today we handle the full spectrum of Baker Group merchandise across every department in the company.
Field crews get Carhartt jackets and beanies built for jobsite conditions. Leadership gets executive polos, quarter-zips, and golf gear designed for the client meetings where real relationships happen. Recruiting gets the trade show kit. Marketing gets the anniversary program. HR gets the onboarding apparel. One partner. Every program.
Planning a field crew order? Our free Size Breakdown Calculator takes your headcount and team profile and returns an optimized quantity per size — before you finalize production.
Some Milestones Get a Sheet Cake.
Baker Got a Beer.
In 2023, Baker Group hit 60 years — six decades from Bernie and Berniece Baker founding a steamfitting company in Lee Township to one of the Midwest's largest multi-specialty contractors. A milestone like that doesn't get marked with a coffee mug. So we built a program that matched the moment.
Bernie Steam Beer.
A label with a worldview.
For their 60th anniversary, Baker partnered with Exile Brewing Company, a local Des Moines brewery, on a custom co-branded beer. Named for Bernie Baker, the founder. Featured Bernie and Berniece's actual portraits on the label. Carried the company's worldview right on the can: "Lee Township Against the World." A full-flavored steam beer brewed for a company that built itself on the boldness of an underdog.
Not a logo slapped on a stock label. A real product, brewed in their backyard, carrying their actual story in their actual voice. The kind of brand thinking we point to when we talk about clients who get it.
- 01Bernie Steam BeerCustom-brewed by Exile Brewing in Des Moines.
- 02Anniversary GlasswareEngineered to pair with the pour.
- 03Cooler BackpacksBuilt for tailgates, jobsite breaks, and team moments.
- 04Anniversary Apparel & AccessoriesRolled out across the entire company.
Every Department.
Every Program. One Team.
Most merch programs cover one or two needs. The Baker partnership spans the entire company — and stays consistent across every touchpoint because it's all coming from one team that knows the brand inside out.
Field Apparel
Carhartt jackets, Defender hoodies, beanies, vests, cooling towels, hand warmers, first-aid kits, custom zipper pulls.
Executive & Leadership Gear
Polos, quarter-zips, co-branded apparel, custom caps, and patches for client meetings and the field.
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Client Gifting & Relationship Tools
Golf log books, drinkware, suede koozies, duck-hunting gear, multi-tool pens — the relationship-building toolkit.
Trade Show & Event Programs
Backpacks, tech items, chargers, cables, earbuds, mouse pads, neck fans — kitted and shipped wherever Baker is showing up next.
Anniversary & Milestone Programs
The 60th-anniversary build — Bernie Steam Beer, cooler backpacks, glassware, and the full kit.
Recruiting, HR & Onboarding
First-day apparel for new hires and field-tested giveaways for hiring events.
Three Years of Baker, In the Wild.
Every piece below is real work. Real product. Real Baker employees wearing it on the job, in the office, on the course, and at the events that matter.
The Operating Rhythm of an Embedded Partnership.
- 1
Annual planning — every year starts with a calendar conversation. Anniversaries, trade shows, hiring waves, gifting seasons, leadership events. We map the year before it starts.
- 2
Department-by-department creative — field, exec, recruiting, marketing, and HR each get their own creative direction. One brand. Different applications.
- 3
Product sourcing across categories — from Carhartt programs to custom-developed items like the Bernie Beer collaboration. Whatever the moment calls for.
- 4
Production management across decoration methods — embroidery, screenprint, patch, laser-engrave, custom development. Coordinated as a single program instead of a stack of one-off orders.
- 5
Kitting, fulfillment, and distribution — whether the destination is a jobsite, a trade show booth, a client's office, or 1,500 employees company-wide.
- 6
Reporting and recap — every program closes with a recap. What landed. What to repeat. What to evolve next year. The relationship gets smarter every cycle.
Less Coordination. More Consistency. One Team.
Across every program, every department, every milestone — one team handling it. Field apparel, executive gear, client gifting, trade shows, recruiting, and the 60th-anniversary build all run from the same partnership. That's the difference between a vendor and a partner.