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When Travis Jensen started his college journey at Bethel University, his mornings began on the track, chasing new personal records and championship ribbons. A lifelong athlete, he was no stranger to discipline and dedication. But one day, something shifted. Deep down, he realized the track wasn’t the path he was meant to follow.
Turning to his faith, Travis sought guidance, praying for clarity on what his next step should be. Just two weeks later, he began envisioning a design: a cross on a t-shirt. He couldn’t shake the idea. Determined to bring this vision to life, he borrowed his sister’s Cricut machine, grabbed a shirt from an overflowing dresser drawer, and crafted the first-ever Travco t-shirt.
The response was immediate. People all over campus wanted to know where he got the shirt and how they could get one too. Within five months, his dorm room was transformed into a makeshift production studio, with t-shirts scattered across the floor and the hum of the Cricut machine serving as the soundtrack to his mornings.
As demand grew, so did his ambition. Travis mastered new techniques, eventually expanding from heat-pressed designs to screen printing. By his senior year, he had upgraded to a house with a basement-turned-production room, allowing him to scale his operations even further.
After graduating, Travis returned to his hometown of Albert Lea, Minnesota, where he now runs Travco out of a dedicated production facility. Recently, he took a significant step forward by investing in a fully automatic screen printing machine. This advanced equipment is not only streamlining production but also opening doors to new growth opportunities, enabling Travco to handle larger orders with greater efficiency and precision. What started as a single t-shirt has grown into a premium Christian apparel brand, shipping to all 50 states, 13 countries, and even landing in three physical retail locations.
While Travis still oversees every part of the process—from designing to packaging and shipping—his roots remain deeply tied to Bethel University. Today, Bethel is the only college in the United States selling Travco products. Travis’s journey is a testament to faith, resilience, and the power of following a vision. What began as a leap of faith is now a thriving business, proving that sometimes the most unexpected paths lead to the greatest rewards.
Inspired by Travis’s journey? Explore Travco’s collection of premium Christian apparel today at bethelgear.com or travco.shop and wear your faith proudly.
