It didn’t take long for 2024 to ring in a new year with a new business in Mexico.

The Mexico Area Chamber of Commerce helped welcome “424 North Apparel and Design” to the city on Tuesday, Jan. 2, with a ribbon cutting. Owner Antonio Williams got a little emotional right after thanking everyone for joining in on the celebration.

“I’m kind of proud, but to be honest I have a lot of people behind me,” Williams said.

Inside the store, Williams has graphic printed T-shirts and sweatshirts that feature the Mexico Bulldogs and some other favorite teams like the Mizzou Tigers and Kansas City Chiefs. Williams also has a line of Tyronn Lue fanatic wear.

Williams doesn’t limit his artwork to just clothes. The business can also print flyers, and business cards along with screen printing and embroidery.

The name 424 North has a special meaning behind it for not only Williams but his whole family. Williams’s mother was from Mexico but his father’s family was from Centralia and that’s where he was raised at 424 North Hickman Street, which belonged to his grandmother. The house is gone but the old house number is fixed on the wall of the business. Williams told those who gathered for the ribbon cutting he’s hoping to fill a niche in Mexico.

“I feel like we might have needed this so I do what I can,” Williams said.

Williams said he first became interested in making and designing clothes as a young child watching his grandmother.

“I didn’t wear store-bought clothes unless I was going to town,” Williams said. “All my clothes were made.”

Williams said he admired his grandmother’s work and quietly would watch and take mental notes.

“My grandfather wasn’t a fan of boys sewing because he’s old school but I used to sit back and just watch her,” Williams said. “When I got older I decided to do something with it.”

Williams is a graphic designer by trade and already has a full-time job in that realm but he may have to make some tough choices because of the early success he’s having.

“I think I might have to give that up because this is already a little bit more than I can handle,” Williams said.

Williams's inspiration comes from his upbringing but the idea for the shop came from life’s realities. Having children with different interests can have some looking for ways to become more resourceful

“We have six kids and we had to buy shirts for everything and all my kids played different sports,” Williams said. “One day I decided I was going to make some uniforms and I did.”

Williams said other parents started to notice his work which eventually led him to this path.

“People started noticing,” Williams said. “Being into graphic design I wanted to get into different types of media and it’s turned into this. I’m here.”

Over the past year or so while putting all of this together Williams had to battle through one of the toughest things all of us face; losing a parent. Williams lost his mother, Gweneth, this past summer. Before she passed away Gweneth was constantly checking in on her son and wanting to know how things were developing.

 “A lot of people have supported me but I can’t say anybody has supported me more than her,” Williams said. “I dedicate everything I do to her because she was my biggest fan.”

The store is located at 718 East Liberty Street and is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.