LAS CRUCES – The Organ Mountains loom large on the Las Cruces horizon, and the iconic outline is also showing up on a line of clothing from a new Las Cruces business that is giving back to the community.
Organ Mountain Outfitters, founded by Chris Lang, began selling a line of clothing and accessories featuring the mountains in July at the Las Cruces Farmer’s Market and has since expanded sales to other local festivals and events. It has also opened an online store on its website, which has attracted customers from throughout the U.S.
The company is the second startup for Lang, 35, and a labor of love. Lang also owns and manages a local video production agency, LNG Creative Co. He relies on his wife, Kerry, to help him balance the work of running two businesses.
“I wanted to build a company that would bring our community together, and I wanted to be able to give back at the same time. When I read an article in the Sun-News about the local school’s reduced lunch program, I knew this is where we could start,” he said.
Lang said that for every shirt sold, $2 is donated to Las Cruces Public Schools Nutrition Services Department to help families who are struggling to pay for school lunches.
“Basically, a reduced-price meal for qualified families costs 40 cents, so every contribution of $2 helps to feed a child for a school week,” he said.
Since July, the company has helped provide about 6,000 school lunches, he said.
Organ Mountain Outfitters product line includes a selection of shirts, hoodies, hats and accessories featuring the company’s distinctive logo silhouetted on the Organ Mountains skyline. The clothing, which has been carefully selected with comfort in mind, is available in men’s, women’s and children’s sizes.
“We’re also working on a line of fall and winter apparel, which will be available in mid-November,” Lang said.
While the product line is small at this time, he plans to expand it to include clothing and accessories for camping, hiking, biking and photography enthusiasts.
“To continue to move forward, we need to be innovating our own products and really listening to what our audience loves and wants to do in Las Cruces,” he said. “People here just love being outdoors, so we want to help them enjoy that in the most 100 percent Las Cruces way possible.”
Lang is also committed to drawing on local resources to build the business. “We do not outsource the manufacturing,” he said. “Everything we do is sourced locally, including the marketing, screen printing, production, filmmaking, even the music in our videos. People ask if we are a national company, but we’re drawing on all the local talent in Las Cruces.”
When Lang and his wife are not running the business, they focus on spending time with their two children, Sadie, 9, and Levi, 7. He is also an avid photographer.
“I find inspiration in the mountains and love taking photographs of them, especially at night,” he said. He has translated his inspiration into a business that allows him to showcase his love of all things Las Cruces.
If you go
What: Shirts, hoodies, hats and accessories for men, women and children featuring the silhouette of the Organ Mountains skyline.
Where: Shoppers can find Organ Mountain Outfitters on Saturdays at the Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market and the upcoming Pet-O-Ber Fest on Oct. 29 at Young Park.
Info: For information about Organ Mountain Outfitters apparel, visit the company’s website at www.organmountainoutfitters.com, where you can also order products online.
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