April 9, 2019
Alumni Spotlight: Parker Moore (B.S. ’16)
If you don’t regularly participate in musical performances, frequently attend upper echelon parties, or often go to the opera, what are the odds that you have a fitting tuxedo on-hand?
Probably not very high. That’s where Moore School alumnus Parker Moore’s (B.S. ’16) business Tux on Trux comes in.
“This business concept was something I came up with in high school,” Moore said. “I saw how the class ring company Jostens was operating and I wondered if a tuxedo company could operate the same way.”
Founded in 2015, Tux on Trux is a mobile tuxedo rental service that provides tuxes for events such as high school proms, college formals, weddings and now centennial galas.
“For prom for example, we set up shop inside a school and offer free tuxedo fittings,” Moore said. “Then, the students can go online at home with their parents and order their tuxedos. Our staff is back at the school the week of prom passing out those tuxedos. Monday after prom, simply bring the tux back to school and we pick it up.”
Tux on Trux is the Moore School’s chosen tuxedo rental provider for the students attending the Centennial Gala on April 25. As a recent alumnus of the school, Moore is thrilled to be serving its students in this way.
“The Moore School will always hold a special place in my heart,” he said. “It's really where I was able to find what I'm best at and meet incredible people who've helped me reach my goals.”
Although Moore had the idea for the business in high school, he didn’t act on it until he was in a college class that required him to write up a business plan.
“The professor loved it and encouraged me to pitch this at a startup competition, StartUp Weekend,” he said. “Out of more than 50 ideas, we took home second place and were immediately approached by people who wanted to help us get this off the ground. We had NO intention of doing this full-time, yet here we are in our fourth year!”
Moore thinks it’s important to stay connected with USC and the Moore School for many reasons business-wise as well as because of how much he can still learn from his alma mater.
“Staying connected is valuable to my company, but more than that, it’s valuable to me personally because I’m given opportunities to work alongside and learn from today’s students, who sometimes change the way I view an issue and ultimately solve a problem,” he said. “I think whenever you have so many great resources tightly packed into one space, it’s inevitable that the next great product, invention or company will be born at the University of South Carolina. The Moore School is always growing and progressing towards the future.”