A super opportunity for local print shop
Jan. 30—DICKSON CITY — A local business is gambling on the Philadelphia Eagles winning Super Bowl LVII. If the Birds defeat the Kansas City Chiefs on Feb. 12, Talk Shirty To Me will start printing tens of thousands of T-shirts at the shop on Enterprise Street.
Ron Augelli, owner and CEO of Talk Shirty To Me, noted the latest recognition represents more than a decade of grinding away at the craft.
"We've been in business 15 years, so we have credibility within our industry," he said. "We've just been putting our heads down and doing the work. Now, we're starting to land the contracts we've been shooting for — stuff I thought was unattainable."
A year of networking and marketing helped Augelli land the contract with the merchandise companies that are licensed with the National Football League and Philadelphia Eagles.
"It was a lot of emails and phone calls," he said. "Being persistent really paid off on this one."
Talk Shirty To Me was selected as one of the official printers of Eagles merchandise apparel throughout the United States to help with the distribution of the Super Bowl shirts, Augelli said.
A big party will be held at the facility on Super Bowl Sunday while workers and volunteers anxiously await a call to fire up the presses.
We should get an official phone call by around 11 p.m. about whether we're on or not, Augelli said.
He noted the presses will be running for 12 straight hours if the Eagles are victorious to meet a 6 a.m. deadline.
Augelli couldn't disclose specifics on the shirt's design other than it will contain the Eagles' logo.
"It's officially licensed merchandise so it's given to us," he said. "Only about a dozen people in the United States get to see it."
He added securing a contract of this magnitude wouldn't be possible without the dedication of his staff. About 30 to 35 employees along with volunteers will part of the arduous process.
The enormity of the job also requires additional supplies to complete the task.
"We're typically ordering 30 to 40 gallons of ink a week and now we're going to be ordering a couple hundred of each specific color in the print," Augelli said. "There is a gamble that comes with that too because we'll be sitting on everything we invested if they don't win."
While the Super Bowl shirts will get more exposure, Augelli stressed the same attention is given to every product.
"We look at each job as just ink on a shirt and treat every account exactly the same," he said. "If you look at everything through the same lens, you never get complacent and always make sure everything looks good."
Dickson City Borough Manager Cesare Forconi expressed excitement to learn to a local business was selected to print the shirts.
"I know the quality of their work and several businesses in Dickson City use them for their promotional T-shirts," he said. "It shows Dickson City is relevant and it's nice to have a business recognized for the Super Bowl."
Contact the writer: rtomkavage@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9131; @rtomkavage on Twitter.
