Owings, MD – Having a great product alone doesn’t always guarantee success in the competitive world of business. Marketing experts agree the right logo, consistently presented in many ways—stationary, clothing, signage, business cards, for example—can give a business or organization icon status.
Tim Manley of National Ink and Stitch (NIS) in Owings said his business is all about bringing other businesses “under one brand. We’ve become kind of a one-stop shop for branded items. There are a lot of shops that can do some of what we do but not all of what we do. It sets us apart.”
Screen printing, embroidery, signs, banners and business cards are among the image items that can be done at NIS. Their location on Meadow Run Lane in Owings includes a storefront for the sales and order of merchandise and an equally busy industrial area where screen printing is done.
Manley said NIS currently has 10 employees. Business partner Michelle Miller said NIS employees are “creative team players, customer service-oriented and detail-oriented.”
National Ink and Stitch started in 2001. Manley, who also works as a professional firefighter in Anne Arundel County, recalled the birth of the business occurred around the same time as the tragic events known as 9/11 happened. There was a demand for commemorative merchandise that needed to be effective—to capture both the sadness and the resolve Americans had to move on but never forget. Manley pointed proudly to the T-shirt depicting a New York City firefighter with angel’s wings as but one example of NIS’ work on behalf of several area fire departments, National Fallen Firefighters, police agencies and military veteran organizations such as Rolling Thunder.
Other local customers include several soccer leagues, and Exelon, the relatively new owners and operators of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant.
For new customers, Manley stated, “we can guide them in the right direction. We’ve been able to help people keep brands consistent.” That consistency is not just in the image but the colors used for that image.
The work National Ink and Stitch has done has helped put a signature look on a variety of events—corporate parties, weddings and even funerals.
“I enjoy the variety of it because we do so many different things, it doesn’t get redundant,” said Miller (pictured below), who described herself as a “self-taught artist.” She said the NIS crew blends its creative expertise with a determination to give all customers their money’s worth. “We’ll help them find a product to reach a goal,” Miller said.
There appears to be no limit to the products that can be branded, whether it be coffee mugs, drinking cups, various apparel—including shirts and hats—balloons, badges and bags of every material. “Ink can go on anything,” said Manley.
National Ink and Stitch’s work in the community and surrounding region continues to expand beyond the state of Maryland. Manley said NIS has customers in such locations as Chicago and Los Angeles. “It’s because we’re filling a niche,” he said.
More information about National Ink and Stitch can be found on their web site and Facebook page.
Contact Marty Madden at marty.madden@thebaynet.com
