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3 2 G R A P H I C S P R O • M A R C H 2 0 2 3 G R A P H I C S - P R O. C O M A P P A R E L D E C O R A T I N G Compact press opens doors for large orders Today, Govertsen is the official garment printer for the Columbia County Fair Board. Since that first event, his live print business has taken off. "We attend about seven or eight events a year, includ- ing festivals, fairgrounds, car shows, and Little League games," he says. "At some of the larger venues we print hundreds of T-shirts and make as much as $3,000 to $4,000 a day. I'm proof that you can take an entry-level press out in public, use it in a commercial setting, and be really successful." Not only are live print events lucrative, but they gen- erate new clients for the Govertsens' printing business, Chatham Clothing Company, which offers screen print- ing, embroidery, sublimation, and heat-transfer vinyl services. "We don't advertise, but we attract business all month long from the cards we hand out at live events," Govertsen says. In addition to printing Little League uniforms, Govertsen drives his live print trailer onto the field at games and takes orders from parents for hats, shirts, and other Little League-approved merchandise. "Every businessperson within 50 miles of that field has a child in Little League, so it's great exposure for us," he says. Printing on demand at live events also ensures that Govertsen isn't stuck with excess inventory. "When you print shirts, sometimes you have to guess how many to order, and you may not sell them all," he says. "But with live events, there's no waste; if some- one orders an XL for themself and a 2X for their dad at home, we can print those two shirts while they wait." In 2019, Govertsen changed the name of Gfab Graphics to Chatham Clothing Company — a nod to a local textile company from the 1800s. e name change also reflects a shift in focus from primarily race car apparel to clothing for diverse businesses and com- munity events. Most of Chatham Clothing Company's orders are printed on an automatic press in Govertsen's garage. He also operates another manual press, as well as a con- veyor dryer and three embroidery machines. When Govertsen isn't printing at home or at live events, he works his day job as a plumbing and heating contractor. His goal is to transition to printing full time and move the family business to a commercial building that can house all of his equipment under one roof. GP Chatham Clothing Company 518-956-1894 info@chathamclothingcompany.com www.chathamclothingcompany.com Chatham Clothing Company is the official garment printer at the Columbia County Fair. Scott Govertsen pumps out garments for customers at the Fair with his V-100 tabletop screen printing press.