Thomas Gounley

TGOUNLEY@NEWS-LEADER.COM

Springfield-based retailer 5 Pound Apparel has been sold to new owners.

Ben and Brina Thomas purchased the company effective Tuesday, according to a news release from a broker handling the sale. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Brina Thomas, a Missouri State University graduate who grew up in Bolivar, has resigned from her most recent job — managing south Springfield home furnishings store Ellecor — to focus on the company, according to the release from Clayton Cooper with Kingsley Group Business Brokers. Husband Ben Thomas, a Seymour native who attended the University of Arkansas, plans to keep his day job as a bank examiner.

The couple plan to continue the business' philanthropic structure, according to the release. The name 5 Pound Apparel comes from the fact that the company donates five pounds of food for every purchase. The couple also plan to continue to "promote the Awesome state of Missouri"; many of the company's designs showcase local or regional pride.

Brothers Bryan and Matt Simpson opened 5 Pound Apparel's downtown Springfield store in December 2010 and added a location on the south side in April 2014. The company, which also has an online store and a private label wholesale business, solicited buyers starting in October.

Bryan Simpson, who was referred to as sole owner in the release, told the News-Leader in October that he is "very much just an entrepreneur," and was more interested in being in the early stages of a new venture than managing the day-to-day operations of an existing business.

The Thomases said they "will work closely with Bryan to ensure a smooth transition of ownership, with plans to ensure the ongoing integrity and mission of the business."