Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Berena.
Chris – please kick things off for us. Where does this story begin?
Scrappy Apparel Company started in 2006 featuring music submitted by independent musicians on our online streaming radio – Scrappy Radio. In addition, we offered our own line of t shirt designs comprised of funny slogans and designs. Grant Kevins (Co-Founder) and myself (Chris Berena/Co-Founder) did all of our own production and promotion. Grant and I met at West Virginia University where we played on the men’s soccer team and roomed together before transferring to the University of Illinois at Chicago (Chris) and Clemson (Grant).
As time went by, musicians that we promoted and met during our existence started asking us if we could print shirts for them. After a little bit of thought we decided why not, started printing, and began getting the word out through social media avenues and craigslist. Before we knew it we were screen printing for musicians, businesses, organizations, and apparel lines all over the United States. We eventually got to the point where Grant and I determined it would be best to focus on growing the business through sales and relationships. As a result, we our filled our production team with good people who were detail oriented, fast, ambitious, and focused on putting out high quality product. When we first started we used a 6 station/6color manual press. Now we run 1 manual and 2 Sroque automatic presses capable of printing 1000 shirts each and hour.
Every single one of our customers speaks with one of our co-founders at some point or another, often times before they even buy anything. When we meet people we try to be friendly and build relationships from the start. As a result, very few people leave us, except when they want something that we cannot do. So, we decided to expand into new areas (embroidery, cut and sew, custom headwear, design & branding) and expand our screen printing to cater to those who want something special.
Above all, we continue to grow because of our benefits. We use better inks so our prints last wash after wash and wear after wear. Have an extensive product catalog made up of high end fabrics so our customers can resell at a higher price or give gifts that stand out from other pieces in the wardrobe. When we make mistakes, we hold ourselves accountable and we fix them so they customer does not have to spend time or money trying to find a new printer. We are fast and consistent which allows our customer to make tight deadlines or plan months in advance. We are a one stop shop made up of quality people who make quality products allowing you to stick with a printer you trust and expand what you are currently doing with your brand.
Has it been a smooth road?
Doing anything worthwhile is never easy.
Dealing with evolving technology has been tough. One day your website is up to date and easy to find online, another day the Google algorithm has changed and you need to revamp your site.
Finding quality vendors to work with is very hard. It takes money and time. Just because someone says they can do something doesn’t mean they can do it well.
Realizing it is okay to not be able to work with everyone.
Doing what it took to keep Scrappy going. Scrappy is now full-time for Grant and I, but there was a point where we would both coach soccer, wait tables, valet, and work sales jobs while doing sales, production, and marketing for Scrappy. It was tough and tiresome, but we learned so much and thickened our skin along the way.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Scrappy Apparel is a 5 Star Custom Apparel Company. We specialize in building long lasting relationships by working with potential customers before they buy anything. People often come to us through word of mouth, some have previous experience getting apparel or designs made and some have none. We do our best to make sure whoever told them about us looks good in the end. We have a great record of making those people look good in front of the friends, bosses, co-workers, etc. and that is what we are most proud of.
Aside from our friendly conversations, we also do a good job screen printing what other printers can and cannot do. Screen printing accounts for the majority of our business. We mainly print on apparel meant for the waist up (t shirts, hoodies, tank tops, sweatshirts), but do lay ink down on shorts, pants, and leggings from time to time. What makes us special is we have the ability to print designs larger, more detailed, and softer and add finishing options like custom labeling to give our customers more time because they can work with one vendor from start to finish on their projects and more profit because they can build higher end products they can sell for higher price points.
What sets us apart from print shops is we do more than print. Grant is the main man when it comes to developing new services. When enough people come to us asking for something we don’t do, he starts working towards being able to do it. A few years ago we began focusing on embroidery and each year we are doing more and more embroidery business. After 2 years of testing we launched cut and sew, custom head wear, and branding and design programs in 2016-17 and have been able to do more with our existing clients and reach new audiences as well.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Chicago is a great city for a business like ours.
-We ship nationally so being in the Midwest allows us to ship East, West, North, and south affordably and quickly.
-Many of the vendors we purchase our wholesale apparel from have locations in the Chicagoland area which allows us to get products in our hands, out the door, and into our customers’ hands very quickly. Our standard turnaround time including shipping is 15 business days.
-Many corporations are headquartered here so there are lots of opportunities to get in front of decision makers.
-Many people have been to Chicago, and many of them say nice things. Chicago is a good conversation starter when dealing with people from around the country.
Would I recommend someone just starting out to start a business here? Well, if they were selling surfboards I wouldn’t recommend it, but other than that I would. Chicago is made up of so many movers and shakers from different circles that there are plenty of opportunities to build relationships and expand your business. There are also lots of great food options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner breaks!
Pricing:
- Screen Printing Minimum Order starts at 24 pieces per design
- Embroidery minimum order is 12 pieces per design
- Cut and Sew Sublimation minimum order is 12 pieces per design and garment style
- Ship for free to the 48 lower states
- Branding and Design Packages Start at $500
Contact Info:
- Website: www.scrappyapparel.com
- Phone: 8773977279
- Email: WeGetiT@scrappyapparel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scrappyapparelco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scrappyapparel/?ref=br_rs
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/scrappyapparel
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
