The Liberty & Co. online store was founded in 2022 by Haylee Shuping. Her husband, Concord Police Officer Jason Shuping, was tragically killed while serving in the line of duty on December 16, 2020. After her husband passed, she realized she needed to take greater precautions in protecting herself and obtained a concealed carry permit.
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Law Enforcement Appreciation Day in the United States was celebrated on Monday, January 9 and we wanted to feature a female-owned business offering first responder-inspired apparel online.
Haylee Shuping is a small business owner, Cabarrus Center Retail Lab graduate, and community advocate who is making a big difference in Cabarrus County. Her own personal perseverance through pain has come after losing her husband, Officer Jason Shuping, two years ago. However, she has spent the time since finding ways to support law enforcement while also honoring her late husband.
First Responder Inspired Clothing
As a consumer, Haylee struggled to find women’s concealed carry apparel in a male-dominated market that matched her style aesthetic in being fashionable but functional. So, she created Liberty & Co., an online store that specializes in offering concealed carry clothing for women to promote gun safety and self-reliance.
- Liberty and Co. also offers custom-made apparel made to honor and support our nation’s heroes with the mission of giving back to the community. We believe in connecting those who serve with those that support them. She also has a selection of hats, jewelry, accessories, and even some men’s apparel.
What’s in a Name?
Liberty & Co. was chosen as the name because liberty represents freedom, strength, and perseverance. Our logo embodies these representations and was also inspired by my husband’s love for his Pontiac Firebird.
The Women Behind the Badge
The main image on the FAQ page of the Liberty & Co. website is a photo of an army of first responder wives, arm in arm in solidarity. The image really hits home what a family these women become.
- Haylee puts a special spotlight on the wives of law enforcement officers by having all of her clothing modeled by officers’ wives on her website.
- In 2008, Hayley was a hostage held up at gunpoint at a bank she worked at right out of college. She worked through the trauma with Mark Cukro and left feeling empowered.
- Haylee offers a line of apparel for concealed-carry, but she also recently made her first TikTok video to promote her own journey, taking a self-defense class at Integrated Martial Arts in Harrisburg.
Husband Honored with a Scholarship and Blood Drive
Haylee keeps a very busy schedule making sure to support law enforcement officers in any way she can. She followed up on an idea she and her husband discussed supporting future officers by establishing a scholarship at the community college.
- In Dec. 2022, Matthew Dobson was selected as the first recipient of the Officer Jason Shuping Memorial Public Safety Scholarship at Rowan-Cabarrus. See reporter David Whisenant’s story and video (WBTV).
- Last week, Haylee’s company also sponsored the National Blue Blood Drive in Memory of Ofc. Jason Shuping in partnership with the American Red Cross and the North Carolina Chapter at the Cabarrus Brewing Company’s Kettle Room.
Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/libertyandcoshop
https://www.instagram.com/libertyandcoshop
Planning to visit? Tell ’em Cabarrus Weekly sent ya!
