Pittsburgh partners with CommonWealth Press to sell official city merchandise

Julia Felton
Tuesday, April 26, 2022 2:19 p.m. | Tuesday, April 26, 2022 2:19 p.m.

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Courtesy of CommonWealth Press

After the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019, CommonWealth Press began selling these shirts.

The city of Pittsburgh is partnering with CommonWealth Press to sell the city’s first officially licensed merchandise.

Officials with the Peduto Administration announced in September that they were looking to partner with a company to create branded Pittsburgh merchandise. On Wednesday, City Council approved a measure to partner with Pittsburgh-based CommonWealth Press.

CommonWealth Press employees said they are eager to work with the city, but declined to provide details about what kind of merchandise would be available or when it would go on sale. The company has said it aims to create an official line of merchandise representing a “wide range of Pittsburgh-centric ideas.”

The company sells Pittsburgh-themed merchandise, ranging from shirts and bags to greeting cards and coffee mugs. The company, owned by Dan Rugh, has a retail location in Mt. Lebanon, and it has printed items for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lt. Governor John Fetterman’s campaign and other organizations.

This agreement will not bar other companies from selling Pittsburgh-themed items. Several businesses, including Shop412 and Steel City Clothing, have based their brands around selling items that invoke Pittsburgh pride.

Officially licensed merchandise will bear a tag or decal that declares it official city merchandise to differentiate it from other items bearing Pittsburgh colors or symbols.

A portion of the revenues from the merchandise sales will go to the city, said Patrick Cornell, assistant director of the city’s Office of Management and Budget. He told council members last week that he could estimate how much revenue the merchandise sales might generate.

Councilman Bruce Kraus said during last week’s meeting that he’d like to ensure the final agreement includes a measure that allows city officials to have input regarding what kind of merchandise is produced and sold.

The measure was unanimously approved Tuesday. Councilman Ricky Burgess was not present for the vote.