Be Local: Screen printers pivot to meet challenges posed by pandemic
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Finding the most effective way to reach customers and reshape their business has been the challenge for local screen printers and embroiderers over the last five months.
Booster clubs and sports leagues remain vital to success, but advertising and e-commerce have become essential.
For the most part, for local shops, the strategy has helped them pivot away from pre-pandemic habits and practices toward new revenue streams.
Dennis Slagle, owner of Fredericktown-based BeeGraphix, said to gain fundraising referrals, the company changed tactics.
“Our program is different, as we know that organizations are short-staffed and it is hard for them to take the time to organize it all,” he explained. “The isolation going on now makes it more difficult to reach people and find out who wants to do a fundraiser.”
BeeGraphix also has a store in Belle Vernon and recently closed an office in Waynesburg. It relies on spirit wear fundraisers from schools, clubs, athletic teams and others. In addition to screen printing and embroidery, BeeGraphix offers promotional products, school banners for individuals, and athletic uniforms.
Schools, and sports, were shut down in March – one of the busiest times for BeeGraphix and its competitors.
“In many cases, orders were just placed or they were just starting to place team orders,” Slagle said. “Boosters still went through with fundraisers.
“Some of the orders we had were stopped or canceled. Some of the business perked back up in June with travel baseball, softball and soccer – the Little League teams and Pony teams who tried to have some kind of shortened season.
“Now, as we wait to hear about fall high school sports, it’s like a repeat of March.”
JD Engraving and Awards in Canonsburg is providing curbside service to customers as well as looking for more effective ways to promote and increase its business online.
“We started selling masks because it became the biggest request we had,” said Jennifer Fetsko, one of the owners. “We tested the waters online with an Etsy store.”
She added that with more people shopping from home and eager to spend, the business is pivoting in that direction. Fetsko has always provided engraving and award products and services, and said her line of apparel has gained more traction.
“We’ve been busier this summer than I thought,” she said. “While our business from oil and gas is down, that was happening before the pandemic. We are getting more corporate work, and we’re getting a lot of business from landscaping. The boosters and schools seem to push forward with orders for spirit wear, no matter if sports teams are playing or not. People want to show support.”
Don Peters, one of the owners of D&T Tees of Washington, said he’s seen an uptick in business the past few weeks that “is close to what we would do” under normal circumstances.
“We’re definitely doing more business now than we did before,” Peters added. “We’re waiting to see what happens with fall sports. A lot of our business comes from McGuffey, Trinity and Wash High.
“Sometimes I sit and ponder and think about the situation and ways to do things. Basically, what we’re trying to do is get orders, and get them turned around as quickly and efficiently as possible. We’ve been doing this for 17 years. Oftentimes if you lose one customer, you get another one. It’s been tough but we keeping going.”
Fanatic Impressions, also in Washington, has long been focused on sports and athletics. The biggest job, according to Zach Storf, whose father, Tom, owns the business, thinks the key to success rests in “staying on top of the parameters.”
“With all the uncertainty, it’s what you have to do,” Zach Storf said. “Right now, we’re focused on what sports might be played. We’ve increased mask sales. The masks have almost become a fashion statement at this point.
“We’ve reached out to more and different businesses. We talked to restaurants, corporations to expand our reach and focus.”
In the meantime, the business is eager to know if football will be played.
“We have to prepare as if it will be played,” he said. “Typically, we are prepping three months in advance of a sport. That opportunity isn’t there right now. We have to adjust and do so quickly. We need to have the legwork done. Be ready to turn orders around and be as efficient as possible.”
All of the businesses will turn to the holiday season and preparation in the coming weeks.
“We’ll see where we go with sports real soon,” Slagle said. “We were fortunate to do some business with some rugby teams in Florida. We’re doing a lot of online right now. The whole thing is getting product to people. That will be important as we move into the holiday season.”
Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Chris Slota at 724-225-1326 or by email at chris@belocal.net. Discount cards are available at the Observer-Reporter and Almanac office, 122 S. Main St., Washington.