This year, Full Press Apparel is celebrating 25 years of being Tallahassee’s premier visual brander, providing custom screen-printed and embroidered apparel, promotional gifts and graphic design services to thousands of clients from around the country. Over the years, we’ve grown, evolved and found our home in the Tallahassee community. But every story has a beginning. Here’s how Full Press Apparel became the screen-printing business it is today.
Humble Beginnings
In 1997, Danny Shrine founded a screen-printing business called PDT’s with a business partner. Located in a 9,000-square-foot facility on Gaines Street in Tallahassee, the modest shop consisted of two employees and two manual screen-printing presses Danny acquired from his previous job with Awards4U, previously Davis Trophies.
According to Danny, neither one had extensive knowledge about how to run a business – but they figured it out along the way. “Whoever we could scrape up (as customers), both of us had acumen at printing T-shirts, but not business knowledge,” he said. “I learned all that on the fly.”
Danny Shrine
They started looking for opportunities to partner with other local businesses. “We looked at other shops that sometimes struggled with the production side. There were companies that were really good at design or really good at selling or had great connections at the University, but they couldn’t turn the presses and get the shirts out. And we were able to do that, so we started forming some partnerships.”
It turned out to be a great strategy for PDT’s – and one that would allow their business to grow.
Expansion
Over time, demand began to exceed production capacity as PDT’s continued to gain business, so much that they needed to acquire additional production equipment from other shops. They continued to sell to local businesses, fraternities and sororities, organizations, college campuses and local schools. In addition, they established more fulfillment partnerships in which PDT’s would provide the production for large-scale orders placed through other businesses.
In 1999, the shop was officially rebranded as Full Press Apparel.
Full Press Apparel Today
The year 2006 brought another big change for Full Press as, Tracey Shrine, Danny’s wife, joined in the business as a partner and co-owner. Tracey brought a wealth of retail management experience catered to the collegiate market. This shift marked a major moment in FPA’s history as her expertise and vision fueled even more expansion and rapid growth. “She’s a natural force,” said Danny. “She brings this energy that says, ‘We’re going to get this done.’”
Tracey Shrine
Today, Full Press Apparel is serving businesses, government agencies, K-12 entities and non-profit organizations across the United States. From the smallest order to the largest-scale production, it treats each project with equal importance and priority – a core part of FPA’s business model.
“The best part of what we do, in my opinion, and what our company is about, is that connection to other people,” said Danny. “It’s that order to order. For instance, we’ve never once done a small order because everything that we’ve ever made is important to the people that were buying it from us.”
Over the years, this family-owned business stayed true to its ethics. Guided by a solid commitment to their community, it continuously provided jobs for skilled workers in the panhandle region while investing time and resources in worthy causes.
Here’s to the Next 25 Years
This year, FPA isn’t just celebrating 25 years of production as a screen-printing business. We’re celebrating 25 years of our incredible community, the individuals, businesses and organizations who supported us every step of the way. Twenty-five years of growing, learning, employing local team members and investing in the community.
Full Press Apparel’s Production Team
Each time you wear a T-shirt printed by Full Press, you’re wearing a piece of our history. “I love that people wear the shirts that we make,” said Danny. “When I was dating Tracey, she started a habit. We would go out and wherever we went, if I saw somebody wearing a T shirt we made, I would give a little nod. I love that feeling of still feeling connected to it.”
Since day one, Full Press Apparel has felt and appreciated the support and love of our local community.
If we have had the pleasure of serving you, thank you! If you are currently exploring options for a partner to expand your visual presence in the community, we would love to connect. Call, click or stop by today to get started today.
