Spiritex Debuts Solar Powered T-Shirt Pushcart

The pushcart is located at the intersection of Patton and Biltmore Avenues, in front of Sisters McMullen Bakery.

by Derek Sanders

The pushcart features organic cotton graphic t-shirts, hats and other accessories. All featured designs are Spiritex creations; some have “Asheville Area”-related themes, while others showcase original and eclectic local art and graphic design.

Patrons and passers-bys will be able to get a small taste of the characteristic merchandise offered at Spiritex and sister store, MIA Gallery, located at 61-1/2 N. Lexington Avenue.

The cart will be open during weekends and holidays, with additional weekdays during peak summer months. The concept and design of the pushcart was conceived internally at Spiritex. Sustainable building practices, such as sourcing recycled and salvaged materials, were utilized as much as possible during design and construction. Ultimately, the cart employs over 60 percent of such material.

While a small amount was salvaged from the various junkyards around
Asheville, the majority of components came from Trash Inc – Creative
Reuse Center, located near the Swannanoa River in Biltmore. As a new
business, Trash Inc’s mission is to find creative and useful ways to
reuse garbage and keep it out of landfills. Some of their recent success
is empirically evident in the construction of this pushcart. Finding a
builder up to the challenge was no easy task.

The project required spending an uncanny amount of time either fitting
together imperfect components or seeking out recycled materials in
various locations. Since so few supplies were purchased new, an
unconventional building approach had to be used in order to follow the
design aesthetic and prescribed functionality of the cart. Alex Kramer,
owner of Full Circle Design-Build was ultimately enlisted for the job.
Solid execution and fine craftsmanship are apparent in the completed
product.

To further utilize sustainable and modern methods of construction, three
small solar arrays installed on the roof will capture the sun’s energy
during the day. They will charge batteries that will power 12 high
intensity LED lights once the sun goes down – perfect for displaying
merchandise into the early night.

In addition, the solar panels also have the capacity to power a fan and
charge an iPhone, which is used to accept credit cards and keep track of
the cart’s inventory. Spiritex staff completed the entire solar
installation, along with fitting the cart with a sun canopy and rain
gear.

Spiritex was founded in Asheville in 2003 to provide organic cotton
apparel and fabric to various wholesale buyers. Since then, the company
has taken a more localized, direct-to-retail direction, producing the
entirety of its products within a tight 100-mile radius of its retail
store at 14 Haywood Street in Downtown Asheville. Spiritex is
continuously committed to manufacturing clothing with the best quality
organic cotton and sustainable fibers.