THE CUSTOM SHOP BOUNCES BACK; UNDER NEW OWNER MICHAEL SMITH, THE FORMERLY BANKRUPT CHAIN JUMPS INTO A FAST-GROWTH MODE.(Brief Article)

Daily News Record, January, 2004 by VARGO, JULIE

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, The Custom Shop is alive and well once again. And it has CEO Michael Smith to thank.

The 45-year-old Ohio custom clothier plucked the venerable men's wear chain's assets from bankruptcy two years ago for less than $500,000. He renamed it The Custom Shop Clothiers, and it has now made Inc. magazine's list of America's 500 fastest-growing private companies for 2003. With a 611 percent growth rate from 1998 to 2002, the Maumee, Ohio-based company was ranked 292 on the list, allowing Smith to recoup most of his initial investment in the company.

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