Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandtricia Andrews-Strickland.
Sandtricia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Essential Creations Chicago is proud to be one of the leading custom embroidery and silk screening companies in Chicago. In business since 2000, our impeccable services combined with our great customer support have helped to quadruple our customer base over time. In addition to tees, jackets, and varsity jackets, we have added new services such as drinkware, uniforms, athletic apparel, and a new process that transfers ink into gas that captures inside the fabric of the garments. Contact us today for more information!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
No the road has not been easy, but what road worth traveling is paved. Each years there are new struggles, when I think we have conquer something, there is always something new. I would not stop what I am doing in spite of the obstacles. I enjoy creating products my clients love and keepsakes that will probably be passed down. I also creating tees for families reunions, group apparel. Our clients enjoy coming in talking with my parents, and chatting it up with my husband and grandson. Those are the days which my struggles worthwhile.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We create apparel and promotional products for our clients. The main part of Essential Creations is Embroidery products which is 80% of the business. We just got a new printer BN-20 which is a print and cut machine, so now we have more control of our smaller printing jobs. We use to farm out the printing to our silk screener. We still send the larger print jobs to the screen printer. On site we can and print coffee mugs, water bottles, mouse pads, with our sublimation machine. This equipment opened many doors in which we can compete with Walgreens and other large big box store to do this type of printing. We also cut and apply vinyl lettering and numbers to jerseys in house. Patches is becoming a large part of Essential Creations. We can create small runs and farm out the larger runs. SCR medical transportation is one of our largest clients, in which we provide patches and uniforms. They have been a client since 2008. We are known for our quick turnaround time. A lot of my competitors have double the turnaround time as us. We have our clients so spoil, they expect miracle most time. And the times it doesn’t happen they want to demand refunds. What set us apart is the fact that we are a family operated business. People love coming in and conversing with anyone on the staff. They really get a kick out of my 8-year old grandson. They clients’ walks in and he says “How can I help you”. Then he proceeds to over different types of products to them. It’s amazing to watch him. I will video tape him one day.
What were you like growing up?
I was a quiet person. I didn’t like people much. I had very few friends before my 18th birthday. I can count the number of friends I had one two hands. I was liked by people, but I spent a lot of time with my family, cousins and aunts. I am very much a family person. My sister had a very outgoing personality and I was the introvert. We traveled a lot with my parents, drove to California once the left there to drive to Mississippi for our family reunion. That was the best. So in the summer I spent time out of town and with family. On our travels I could never find a pencil or anything with my name on it. My sister, Theresa, was able to find a product with her name on it. I think this was instilled in me and I wanted to find things with my name. Funny how this all worked out. I am a firm believe that God’s plan for me was laid well before I was born. If I stay on His path, this business will be everything he has promised it would be.
On another note I wanted to play the piano but did not get the opportunity to take lessons. Two of my friends took lessons for years, so I did not feel as though I was good enough sometimes because I missed out of that.
Contact Info:
- Address: 773-238-1700
sandtricia@sbcglobal.net
quoteec@gmail.com - Website: www.ecreations2000.com
- Phone: 773-238-1700
- Email: quoteec@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/embroidery_diva
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/essentialcreations.com
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/sandtricia
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/essentialcreations
- Other: www.pinterest.com/essentialcreations, www.linkedin.com/essentialcreations
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