From day one, Stephen Terrell knew he wanted to build a business that would fill him with pride and help others. Terrell started Print Works in his dining room in 2011 using a single manual screen print press. Since then, it has grown from one employee to over 30, spanning multiple locations across two states.
When COVID-19 first began to impact communities, Terrell and the Print Works team began to see just how much essential workers were going through. “Everyone could see the daily sacrifice the healthcare workers were making for others,” he says. “They were the essential workers who were in the midst of testing and caring for patients.”
Together, the Paris Print Works team decided they wanted to do whatever they could to try and help. “Paris, Texas is our headquarters location and we have strong ties in our town. Our team thought it would be a good idea to provide uplifting shirts to help boost morale during such an unprecedented time.”
They created a design with intention and heart. Print Works printed uplifting tees that said “Love. Help. Care. Healthcare Provider 2020” and sent them to Paris Regional Medical Center and Paris Lamar County Health District.
Paris Regional Medical Center reached out to say how thankful their workers were for the shirts. The Paris-Lamar County Health District gave Print Works a thank you shout out on social media. Terrell reflects on their gratitude by saying, “They were all surprised that our company did this for them because they were just ‘doing their job.’ “
But Terrell of all people knows how important teamwork and positive morale is for the success of any organization. When it comes to Print Works he believes “people make all the difference.” And from the start “all of our employees know how to work hard and work together as a team. We’ve really built our culture around that.”
Maybe that’s why this COVID-19 crisis has continued to bring their team closer together. They have a common goal to not only support each other, but also to help their community and other businesses as well. “We were thankful to have the opportunity to help supply masks, safety vests and PPE for other businesses to stay open. They say to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ and for me, that means even your business neighbors.”
Terrell has also noticed that throughout the recent months, the number one reason people have sought out decorated apparel is to help boost company morale. “This experience has also made me feel very thankful to be in this business,” he says, “because this industry brings a lot of smiles!”
When it comes to working with logoed apparel, Terrell recognizes the amount of trust it involves. That for him and the people he works with, this kind of business is personal. “One of the most amazing things about our business is that people trust us with their logo, which is their legacy,” he says. “In the business world there is no greater level of trust than to take someone else’s brand into your own hands. We take personal pride in each logo and design we do and that means a lot to me personally.”
Whether working in his dining room alone or helping guide his growing team of employees, Terrell believes “everyone deserves to feel pride in what they’ve done.” This is at the heart of what Print Works does every day and why they wanted to give back to the healthcare workers serving their community in times of uncertainty.
“To know that we have helped other businesses and organizations…it’s an incredible feeling,” Terrell says. “There’s nothing quite like it.”
