Today we’d like to introduce you to Boomer Johnson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 1984, I started a home business for Airbrush and Screen Printing. I called it Boomer Ts because a band I was in nicknamed me BOOMER because I am the drummer. My wife is Tina so we named it “Boomer T’s One Stop Shop.”
By August 1984 we opened a store in Hillside Mall. By 1990 we had 3 locations. We called these locations C TEE A – Chicago T-shirt Authority! 1996 a businessman bought C TEE A out, cash sale. I wanted to get in to Digital Printing so in 1998 I found a business partner, Andy Jaeckel, and we opened Digital Printing & Total Graphics Inc.
By 2002 many former customers were seeking me out again for shirts so we opened Boomer Ts in Naperville.
Boomer Ts grew to 3 locations with a 6500 production facility. We have Aurora/Naperville (it is right on the border of both cities), Plainfield and Lombard.
The success of Boomer Ts is because we practice continuous improvement daily and our growth has been primarily word-of-mouth. We just started the marketing band wagon and social media 2 years ago. Customer satisfaction is essential and our knack for great design and quality products in gives us the momentum to be the only company with 3 locations, e-commerce and planning 2 more locations in 2018.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The recessionary cycle has been the turbulent seas that I needed to forecast and prepare for constantly. 2008 was had some monster waves to crest but holding steady and juggling daily maintained the momentum we needed to surface for air gradually.
Please tell us about Boomer Ts.
My proprietary order entry software and production system was essential to presenting the professional level of service that customers are impressed with. It took me 3 years to create it but it proved vital to our growth. Adapting to the e-commerce trends and changes weekly is mandatory.
We have 7 Departments to personalize 1 or thousands of apparel items and accessories. Nobody else does. If we can’t do it, nobody can. We intend to make every customer happy and even if we have a growth pain now and then our number 1 priority is to solve it and meet our customer’s expectations.
I am most proud my employees! I think of it as we are all coworkers. I look for team players and treat my staff like I would like to be treated and in return we all have respect and enjoy working together. Address problems and growth excitement, put solutions in place and work as a team. The team Boomer Ts has now is incredible and happy. Makes coming to work fun.
We have changed from 2,000 sq. ft. retail stores to 900 sq. ft. showroom/sales locations in Lombard and Plainfield – again – forecasting change and watching E-commerce rapidly absorb sales and reduce customer traffic like most other companies are doing too.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Well…I can’t really say there is anything I regret. There has been tough times but I love the energy and momentum and my coworkers that Boomer Ts has now and the excitement of where our growth is headed.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3682 Prairie Lake Ct.
Unit A
Aurora, I 60504 - Website: boomerts.com
- Phone: 630-851-0000
- Email: boomer@boomerts.com
- Instagram: Boomer Ts Plainfield location, see boomerts.com/contact
- Facebook: Boomer T’s Lombard location, see boomerts.com/contact
- Twitter: Boomer T’s https://www.facebook.com/boomerts1/
- Yelp: Boomer T’s
- Other: Boomer T’s
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