A staple of the soccer supporter’s scene is undeniably a soccer scarf – every team in every clime offers some version of the iconic footy apparel and we wanted to find out more about one of the most widely used companies in US Soccer. From MLS and USL to NPSL and WPSL, if you love soccer, you are just a few degrees of separation from a Ruffneck-made scarf. Continuing our Business Spotlight series, we reached out to founder Jeff McIntyre to find out more about his brand and its connection to soccer at all levels.

Tell us how and why Ruffneck Scarves got started - what was the original mission and is that still the same?

We originally started Ruffneck back in 2007 because we were collecting scarves from around the world and couldn't find any options available to us in the U.S. We put up a little retail site online selling a few collections of scarves and then started working with a few local Seattle groups that were interested in making custom scarves. The mission was simple at first, sell hard to find scarves online, but it quickly shifted into creating a brand for proper custom scarves we could provide to supporters to help spread the love we had for the game across America.

Ruffneck has worked with some of the largest soccer brands in the US - but what are some of your favorite non-MLS scarves you've seen come through production?

We've really been fortunate to work with some great organizations at all levels of soccer as well as other sports and industries. Some of my favorite designs are on scarves we've worked with supporters’ groups on. American Outlaws chapters, our own local Emerald City Supporters and USL supporters really get creative and clever with their scarves.

Based in Washington State, Ruffneck has started off working with local clubs, supporters’ groups, and schools.

What do prospective clients need to submit in order to get a custom scarf made? I'm sure most folks have an idea of how they want their scarves to look, but do you have in-house design just in case the client is not design savvy?

Really, all we need from a group looking for custom scarves is an idea of what they're looking for and how they plan to use their scarves. Our internal creative team has been coming up with designs for many years and is able to help the customers design what they envision. It's not to say that if a customer comes to us with a design they want to use, we won't create it... In fact, we encourage our customers to be involved in the design process.

There are a few industry competitors, sure they also make scarves, but what sets you apart? Also, tell us about the fundraiser aspect of your business - how did that come about?

Like every industry there will always be competition. We have had several small companies come and go when it comes to making scarves. What sets us apart, is that we've always been committed to serving our customers best by providing a great experience and the highest quality scarves. Our ability to deliver on those things is what has led us to being the official scarf provider to the likes of MLS, USL, US Soccer, NHL and several other teams and leagues around the world.

Fundraisers came about naturally by request of our customers. We realized school, teams and charities wanted an alternative way to raise money for their organizations besides the usual chocolate bar or t-shirt promotion. It became a natural fit for those groups connected to soccer and over time the popularity has crossed over into much more than soccer and sports.

Jeff McIntyre, not only helped to start Ruffneck Scarves, he helped found both Bellingham United as well as the league they played in, EPLWA.

Traditional Jacquard Knit, HD Knit, Sublimated "Summer" Scarves and... Custom Face Masks. How long did it take for the figurative light-bulb to appear above your heads on that one? What materials are you using and how protective are your custom masks?

We are the "scarf guys" first and foremost... that will never change. It's what we love and what we know we're the best in the world doing. We started selling the face masks recently for a few reasons... we realized there was a need for the general public for cloth face masks for basic levels of protection. Also, with the economy being shut down, we too were suffering from very little sales and had to pivot to survive this downturn. Because we are in the "textiles" business, we quickly pivoted our production to being able to make masks out of readily available materials. We have a few different styles and materials we use in these. Some are cotton and some are a poly blend. Our premium mask has Velcro straps for comfort and fit and does have multi-layers and included filter for added protection. None of our masks are medical-grade.

When we all come back out of our homes again, and supporters’ groups or soccer clubs are looking to make new scarves, will you be fully online and capable of making orders and how do they get in touch?

We are all looking forward to getting back to watching our favorite sport and doing our favorite activities again. I can't wait for that day, but the safety and health of our employees and customers is most important. With that being said, our production is still online and available to produce scarves just as we are producing masks at this time. If anyone is looking for scarves, masks or interested in customizing scarves or masks, all they have to do is visit RuffneckScarves.com for more info and contacts.