Screen Printing Company – Reinventing Through Marketing Solutions
A long-standing screen printer in downtown San Jose had built a solid business over 25 years, producing T-shirts and textiles for businesses and retail customers nationwide. But shifting market conditions—offshore pricing, rising labor costs, and an oversized mortgage—left the company in financial jeopardy. Their traditional screen printing model could no longer sustain them.
I was brought in to help reimagine the business. Together, we discovered a new opportunity: using the same equipment to screen print plastic signs for trade shows, conventions, and large public events. We built a prospecting system by pulling venue lists, contacting event organizers directly, and offering a complete solution: not just producing signs, but also installing them across cities—on poles, fences, and ground stakes—weeks before events.
This positioned the company as the only provider delivering end-to-end event marketing visibility, turning a commodity print shop into an indispensable marketing partner.
From there, I guided the transformation by:
A long-standing screen printer in downtown San Jose had built a solid business over 25 years, producing T-shirts and textiles for businesses and retail customers nationwide. But shifting market conditions—offshore pricing, rising labor costs, and an oversized mortgage—left the company in financial jeopardy. Their traditional screen printing model could no longer sustain them.
I was brought in to help reimagine the business. Together, we discovered a new opportunity: using the same equipment to screen print plastic signs for trade shows, conventions, and large public events. We built a prospecting system by pulling venue lists, contacting event organizers directly, and offering a complete solution: not just producing signs, but also installing them across cities—on poles, fences, and ground stakes—weeks before events.
This positioned the company as the only provider delivering end-to-end event marketing visibility, turning a commodity print shop into an indispensable marketing partner.
From there, I guided the transformation by:
- Reframing the company as a marketing solutions provider, not just a printer.
- Coaching salespeople in a consultation-first approach, leading with value instead of quotes.
- Training production staff and installing streamlined systems to handle new workflows.
- Establishing the company as a print broker to expand services and profits without buying new equipment.
- Consulting with the owner on growth strategy and scaling decisions.
- A six-person sales and consulting department.
- Twelve full-time production staff.
- Over $8 million in annual sales.