Donald Carlson, 33

When Donald Carlson founded Tweeds in 2019, he put nearly every dime he had into buying a 16-foot box truck for selling custom-made suits.

“People thought I was crazy, trying to start a suit company out of a truck in the hottest state in America,” Carlson says, especially because many locals are retirees who may not need suits.

Photo by Mark Wemple

“I had the determination and the commitment and the belief that if you just keep pushing forward, you can make it happen,” Carlson says, “and that's what I did.”

He made cold calls, knocked on doors and moved his suit truck around to different locations, building a solid client base. His first brick-and-mortar showroom opened in Sarasota in 2022. Now he has 10 Tweeds stores in Florida, one in Tennessee and four more stores opening in undisclosed locations before the end of the year.

These days, the Tweeds vehicles have turned into moving trucks, Carlson says, transporting his staff to cities and states where the brand is opening new stores. His company has 25 employees, selling suits that start at $1,950. Clients typically wear Tweeds suits for special occasions like weddings, according to Carlson.

“I’ve always enjoyed dressing up,” he says. “I’ve always believed: look good, feel good, do good.”

Carlson grew up around fine clothing in the dry cleaning industry; his dad owned Sarasota’s Carlson Cleaners for decades until selling it six months ago to help his son with Tweeds.

“My dad stayed committed to one thing for a long time,” Carlson says, noting his father and mentor, Don Carlson, owned the business for 40 years. “That was a good lesson to learn.”

The younger Carlson says he likewise is committed to growing Tweeds, attributing his dedication in the brand's expansion to having a “higher belief” in the concept.

“There is no reason to wait. We have everything we need to continue to scale,” Carlson says. “I can continue to open stores, and there is no ceiling.”