Screen Printers Rule a T-shirt Empire

When Jerry Lubinski started a screen printing business 28 years ago, he was living out an old saying: Sometimes if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

A girls soccer coach, Lubinski had grown frustrated with what he saw as the low quality of his team’s uniforms. He enrolled in some training courses, underwent an apprenticeship and opened his own shop. Nearly three decades later, J&J Sports and Screen Printing now provides custom uniforms, T-shirts and other items to a range of customers that include sports teams, schools, businesses and individuals.

Nine full-time employees help keep this T-shirt empire running smoothly, including Jerry’s wife, Joyce Lubinski. She said the staff consists of printers, an embroiderer, a graphic artist and seamstresses, which means that every part of a customer’s order can be done in one place.

“We are probably one of the only places in town that can do everything in house,” she said. “Once we get the garment, we have total control over it.”

In addition to screen printing, J&J also has the equipment and expertise for embroidery. Joyce said this allows the shop to affix a logo to all kinds of items, from hats to gym bags. Basically, she joked, “If it sits still long enough, we can logo it.”

Baseball season marks the busiest time of year for the business, but fall also brings in a lot of business, so the store was knee-deep in paperwork and boxes Monday afternoon. Joyce attributed their success in part to finding experienced printers, seamstresses and graphic artists who can do quality work.

As an example, she points to a technique of embroidery employed by J&J Sports called tackle twill. It uses a combination of a thermal adhesive and stitching to permanently attach logos and numbers to fabric. The raised letters often seen on sports jerseys or university hoodies is a common example.

“The garment itself will shred, and the tackle twill will still be sewn on,” she said.  

Besides quality, another important factor for any screen printer is speed. The store manager, Paul Heath, estimates that by the end of the week, thousands of items will be going out the shop doors.

Finally, Joyce said at the heart of the shop’s success is its owner. Throughout the years, her husband has developed relationships with suppliers and customers that keep them coming back.

“Jerry’s been in business a long time. He has a great reputation,” she said.

is located at 7840 Watson Rd.