The Ultimate Story of Convergence Between Commercial Printing and Branded Merch
As the lines between the various printing verticals continue to blur, more and more printers are exploring ways to add revenue and capitalize on profit opportunities. There’s a natural tie between apparel decorating and promotional products, but what about between commercial printing and apparel/branded merch creation?
Meet the team at Premier Press, a wide-format printer in Portland, Oregon, that identified a huge business opportunity. A few short years ago, they acquired a company to fulfill branded merch orders and now that segment of their business is thriving. Hear directly from Chris Feyrn, president, on how this ultimate story of convergence unfolded into real ROI for Premier Press.
Bonus Inside Look at Premier Press Backstage Event
Premier Press hosts the Backstage event every year designed to ignite inspiration, connect clients with top-tier vendors, and bring bold ideas to life. Toni McQuilken, senior editor at PRINTING United Alliance, had a chance to attend the event and got the behind-the-scenes scoop.
-
- As the event opened up on an overcast Wednesday morning — which just meant it wasn’t too hot — print buyers, brands, and vendors were already starting to mingle. Coffee and good conversation were both in ready supply, and everyone came prepared to learn more about the types of promotional products and apparel they can personalize for their own brands and events.
-
- More than 200 people were expected at the Premier Press Backstage event in Portland, Oregon. Attendees enjoyed the chance to talk to the vendors who supply the various apparel and promotional items they can customize at Premier Press, actually get a chance to pick up and handle the pieces in person so they get a better feel for the quality of the items, and even personalize their own T-shirt, hat, and socks at various stations throughout the event.
-
- The Hat Lab was a popular destination for attendees of the Premier Press Backstage event, where team members were running two heat presses and creating custom hats. There were several different logos, designs, and hats to choose from, allowing each attendee to walk away with a piece that felt custom just for them.
-
- The Premier Press production floor is massive, where they produce everything from wide-format signage, to corrugated packaging, to direct mail, to posters, to promotional items, to apparel, and more. As a company, they are always looking to invest in the equipment, software, and technologies their team needs to complete nearly anything a customer could want.
-
- Promotional products is one area Premier Press has focused on expanding. At the Backstage event, they had a number of displays showing off just some of the things brands can print on, helping spark creativity in the print buyers walking through.
-
- One of the stations set up at the Premier Press Backstage event was a T-shirt station, where all attendees could choose from several design options to have their own custom shirt made on the spot. Several of the designs were created by Premier’s own summer interns, which they were excited to share with the crowd.
