A unique gift to the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation (OMAF) from Roostas, an apparel company founded by University of Mississippi graduates Ashley and Trent Cox, created a win-win scenario for their business and for Rebel fans.
Starting last fall, an exclusive Ole Miss-branded stretch belt, made by Roostas, was included in gift boxes for all new members of the Vaught Society, an OMAF organization focused on strengthening UM sports programs through private support.
Roostas’ gift, valued at $500,000, fuels CHAMPIONS. NOW., the university’s ongoing campaign to improve facilities for student-athletes. To facilitate the deal, the Coxes worked with OMAF development officers Ben Van Cleve and William Fisher.
“They had a need for a product that shows Ole Miss school spirit, and Roostas was perfectly aligned with that,” said Ashley Cox who lives in Oxford, Mississippi, with her husband and daughters, Caroline, 4, and Cameron, 3. “Ole Miss has always been near and dear to our hearts. So, it was really a gift for us to gift the belts to active participants in the Vaught Society and Athletics Foundation.”
Trent Cox agreed, adding, “We love seeing our belts in the Grove. I’ve had people who got our stretch belt last year who’ve ordered three or four more, and they’ll say, ‘I didn’t even know about you guys until we got the belt.’ So, it’s been a great partnership.”
Having started their business as a golf brand with only four belt designs, the Roostas owners now have reason to crow about their company’s escalating success. Their merchandise is available in about 800 retail stores across the southeast United States and online sales are at an all-time high. Earlier this year, Roostas was named to the INC Regionals 5000 Southeast List as the 58th fastest growing private company in the Southeast.
Stretch belts are its pillars, but the company also produces needlepoint and embroidered belts as well as key chains, toiletry kits and more.
“We’re always looking for creative and meaningful ways to express our gratitude to Vaught Society members for their above-and-beyond support of Ole Miss Athletics,” Fisher said. “Thanks to Trent and Ashley’s generosity, custom Roostas belts are a perfect gift for our donors and a great way to show our appreciation.”
The Coxes met at Ole Miss while working on a group project for one of their MBA classes. Both earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in 2013 and 2014 respectively from the UM School of Business Administration.
Ashley Cox, a native of Allen, Texas, was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and named to Who’s Who Among American College and University Students; her husband, who hailed from Oak Grove, Louisiana, was a Kappa Sigma.
After graduating, the couple married on campus and began working for FedEx in Memphis, Tennessee, where they gained seven years of experience that proved beneficial to building their own company. Trent Cox was senior financial analyst for e-commerce; his wife was senior solutions analyst.
The couple hopes their gift will enable OMAF to allocate additional funding to facilities that give UM student-athletes and coaches a competitive edge.
And if it helps men’s and women’s golf, that’s even better, Trent Cox said, adding that Roostas was born when he noticed that a pro golfer desperately needed a better belt.
“I love golf, and I follow the golf team non-stop,” he said. “I follow every tournament.”
To make a gift to Ole Miss Athletics, visit CHAMPIONS. NOW. or contact William Fisher, assistant athletics director of development, at fisher@givetoathletics.com or 662-915-7159.
By Bill Dabney/UM Foundation