The Printed Image has grown into an impressive screen printing operation employing over 30, and with the current move into their new building, poised to double in size. Owner Scott Laursen is inspired every day by his loyal staff, some of which have been with him for twenty years, as well as by the process of building and moving into their new space located on Park Avenue. He says he’s often thought over the years what a great thing it would be to work in a space designed for the work they do instead of being forced to work around the space they were in. It’s been a long journey to get here.
Scott began his career in screen printing in 1974 as a way to appease his girlfriend who didn’t care for his work as a mechanic. He would create garments in his kitchen, ironing each piece to set the ink. He had no business experience but word of mouth spread and soon Scott hired a friend to do the ironing for him so he could focus on growing the business. In 1986, he borrowed $25,000 from a friend, rented a commercial space and purchased some actual metal printing equipment (up until then he was using a wood press). This new metal equipment dramatically increased the quality of garment Scott could produce.
In 1991, Scott took on a partner and the business quickly grew. They soon outgrew their 3,000 square foot location and in 1993, moved to a 9,000 square foot space. They obtained a loan, bought their first automatic press and increased their capacity from 300 to 3,000 shirts a day. Within four short years, they expanded another 6,000 square feet and had three automatic presses and an embroidery machine.
Flash forward ten years and the partnership ended with Scott becoming the sole owner of the Printed Image. This shift provided some challenges as Scott had to revisit their revenue channels and get their house in order as he recovered from the buyout. He refocused their business lines; streamlining their pre-printed textiles and increasing the volume of custom sales. Sierra Nevada Brewery has been a loyal customer for close to 20 years and Scott is proud of their strong relationship built on quality and longevity. This relationship has given them a lot of credibility in the brewery community and has resulted in The Printed Image providing printing for over 30 breweries. This, combined with a booming custom order channel and their popular preprinted line, is proof that business is good.
Decisions Made Locally.
Having been with 8 banks over the course of the last 35 years, Scott shares the value he puts on a bank where decisions are made locally and eye to eye versus one where they’re made in another city by people who only look at the numbers and deliver decisions via email. “It’s like night and day,” he says. His experience at Golden Valley was solid but Scott had wanted to follow his loan officer who, having been with him for nearly 10 years and knew his business inside and out, made the decision to move to another bank. Scott faced a bit of a surprise as this new bank turned down his loan and put Scott in a tight spot. “I felt pretty sheepish going in to ask Mark (CEO of GVB) if he’d “take me back”, but I was welcomed with open arms. I know how hard everybody had worked to make that loan happen and feel hugely indebted to them for that. Pun intended! I’m happy I am back with GVB. It’s nice to come into the bank and be greeted by name by people who know who I am. They trust me, believe in my company and listened to what I needed. That means a lot to me.”
