Making a Mark: How One Navy Family Built a Business on Craftsmanship and Community

A Hampton Roads family turns craftsmanship, service, and heart into a growing custom apparel business

In the seven cities that make up Hampton Roads, Virginia, a lot of businesses come and go. But every so often, one comes along built on something a little more personal. That is exactly what Bill Noddin, a Senior Chief Petty Officer in the United States Navy, set out to create with Chief’s Mark, a custom embroidery, DTF imprinting, and laser engraving business he runs alongside his wife and, eventually, his kids.

From Side Project to Family Mission

Chief’s Mark started small, as most good things do. Bill has always loved working with his hands, and laser engraving and embroidery gave him a creative outlet outside of his full-time Navy career. What began as a hobby slowly turned into something bigger once his wife, who had spent the last 13 years as a stay-at-home mom, was ready to step back into the workforce.

“This is going to become my wife’s full-time job,” Bill explains. “It’s a side, secondary job for me.” Together, they decided to take that hobby and build it into a real business, one that could eventually involve the whole family, including their twin daughters, who are almost 13, and their five-year-old son.

Because the family homeschools, running Chief’s Mark has become part of the girls’ education too. They are learning firsthand what it takes to run a business, with plans for their younger brother to join in as he grows older. It is a true family operation, built one project at a time.

What Chief’s Mark Offers

Chief’s Mark specializes in custom embroidery, custom DTF (direct-to-film) imprinting, and custom laser engraving, serving the Hampton Roads region while shipping anywhere in the United States. Their ideal customers are smaller organizations, businesses with fewer than 100 employees, along with charities, nonprofits, sports teams, sports boosters, and military associations. In short, the kinds of groups that often get overlooked by larger, faceless suppliers.

That personal touch is really what sets Chief’s Mark apart. “A lot of the companies handling this now are nameless,” Bill says. “You deal with customer service, and you might talk to somebody you probably never will again.” At Chief’s Mark, customers work directly with Bill and his family. Orders are not simply emailed in and fulfilled without conversation. Instead, the process starts with a real interview to understand exactly what a client and their brand need, so the final product reflects real thought and craftsmanship rather than a rushed, generic job.

Bill brings a Navy Chief’s sense of professionalism and attention to detail to every order, along with a background in continuous process improvement, including a certification as a black belt in the field. That discipline shows up in the quality of the finished product and in keeping the business efficient enough to offer competitive pricing without cutting corners.

Serving the Community That Serves

Chief’s Mark‘s name is a nod to Bill’s identity as a Senior Chief Petty Officer, playing on the idea of the Navy Chief’s Mess and the tradition of Chiefs helping businesses and organizations make their mark. It is a name with real meaning behind it, and that sense of purpose carries into the business itself.

A significant part of Chief’s Mark‘s work involves supporting the local military community, including the many command-level associations that represent groups of sailors throughout Hampton Roads. Bill has watched several local embroidery shops close over the past year as commercial space becomes harder to find, pushing more organizations toward large, impersonal, online-only suppliers. Because Chief’s Mark operates from home and the family is not relying on the business as their sole source of income, they are able to keep their margins lean and their prices accessible, especially for smaller organizations and nonprofits that often get priced out elsewhere.

Community involvement runs deep for the Noddin family well beyond the business itself. Bill volunteers with the Patriot Guard, a motorcycle organization that honors fallen service members, law enforcement, and firefighters during funeral processions. His wife serves as a Navy ombudsman, a volunteer role that keeps Navy families connected with their command, and she is also active with the Hampton Roads Chief Petty Officer Spouse Association, which raises scholarship funds for the children of chiefs. Bill has also been recognized as one of the “thousand points of light” for his community service.

A Business Rooted in Family

Ask Bill what has shaped his outlook on life and business, and he will tell you it comes back to his kids. After years of uncertainty about whether he and his wife would be able to have children, an unexpected opportunity through a previous employer’s benefits program made it possible for them to grow their family. Not long after, Bill fulfilled a lifelong dream of joining the Navy, following in the footsteps of three generations of sailors before him.

That experience reshaped how he approaches everything, including Chief’s Mark. “Everything I do, I do for my kids,” he says. It is why the business emphasizes real relationships over transactions, and why the family is intentional about keeping Chief’s Mark sustainable rather than chasing rapid growth for its own sake.

That philosophy shows up in the work itself. One of Bill’s most meaningful projects involved creating a custom engraved plaque for a sailor whose spouse wanted to honor him while he was deployed, incorporating a heartfelt message and a cherished keepsake. When Bill delivered the finished piece, it brought the family to tears, and the sailor later told him it now sits on his desk as a lasting reminder of home. It is the kind of project that reflects exactly what Chief’s Mark is about: care, craftsmanship, and connection.

Looking Ahead

As for the future, Bill keeps his goals grounded. He would love to see Chief’s Mark become the name people think of first when they need custom apparel or engraving work done right in Hampton Roads, and he hopes to invest in new equipment as demand grows. But at its core, the mission has not changed. Chief’s Mark was never meant to replace his Navy career. It was built to create opportunities and experiences for his family, and to give back to the community that has supported them along the way.

For Bill, success will not be measured in size or scale. It will be measured in the ability to give his kids every opportunity possible, while helping other local organizations, families, and businesses make their own mark along the way.

Ready to Make Your Mark?

Whether you are outfitting a sports team, honoring a milestone, promoting a local nonprofit, or looking for custom apparel and gifts with a personal touch, Chief’s Mark is ready to help bring your vision to life.

Visit chiefsmark.com or reach out at sales@cheifsmark.com or 757-453-3132 to start your project today.