Written by Whitley Kilcrease

Three local men have recently launched a “southern style” clothing line that soon will be on sale in Troy.

Brothers Will and Coleman Ulmer, along with friend and neighbor Chad Seale, created Waters Bluff Clothing Co. to cater to the lifestyles and styles of the area.

The line is currently available in Demopolis, where the Ulmers were born and spent their early childhood before moving with their family to Pike County. Merchandise is also available in Tuscaloosa, Auburn and will soon be offered in Troy.

“This has been years in the making,” Will Ulmer said. ““We’ve always known at some point that this is what we would do,”

According to Ulmer, the logo for Waters Bluff Clothing Co. is a tribute to their childhoods spent around the Black Warrior and Tombigbee Rivers near Demopolis. The logo features a great blue Heron, which is a prevalent bird seen in the area.

“It’s something that really means a lot to us,” Ulmer said. “We wanted to reflect that in the logo.”

Ulmer said this is not the first business venture for the trio of childhood friends. When they were about 8 years old, they would buy McDonalds burgers and fries at a discount price and then resell the food at their homemade Kool-Aid stand. As they got older and their interests changed, they started looking for new moneymaking options.

“Eventually we got into skateboarding and started selling that type of clothing,” Ulmer said. “We also had a lawn care service at one point, too. Whatever we could do to make a buck.”

Ulmer said the inspiration for the clothing line comes from the trio’s personal tastes.

“Our vision for the clothing line is very much the same as what we know and what we have experienced buying for ourselves,” Ulmer said. “We wanted to bring something unique to the table for the people in Troy. It just made sense to us to go with what we know and are familiar with. We want our products to be your favorite pieces of clothing.”

Merchandise includes T-shirts, Polo-style shirts, drink huggers, sunglasses straps, hats and sun visors. Ulmer said they also hope to expand their merchandise to include college logos, particularly during the upcoming football season.

“People in the South take pride in how they look,” Ulmer said. “We’re all so excited, we can’t wait to show the area and the country our product. It represents who we are and where we come from.”

Ulmer also said that the products are of the highest quality with a personal guarantee that customers will get their money’s worth out of the merchandise.

“We’re very adamant about high quality,” Ulmer said.

“We want to get it right. Every item we sell is the best of the best. You are going to get what you pay for.”

Waters Bluff products will be available in Troy on August 16 at the grand opening of Cotton Creek Clothing, located at East Court Square.

“It’s been such a long journey,” Ulmer said. “Now we get to really see it materialize. We are all very blessed, grateful and excited. Any support going forward is greatly appreciated.”