MARCY — After starting as an online business last fall, Upstate Ink & Thread, LLC recently cut the ribbon on its first brick-and-mortar location at 9443 River Road in Marcy. Upstate Ink & Thread owners CaSandra Packard and Darin Pearo both owned other businesses, but found themselves frequently referring customers to each other. Packard created […]
MARCY — After starting as an online business last fall, Upstate Ink & Thread, LLC recently cut the ribbon on its first brick-and-mortar location at 9443 River Road in Marcy. Upstate Ink & Thread owners CaSandra Packard and Darin Pearo both owned other businesses, but found themselves frequently referring customers to each other. Packard created custom apparel, while Pearo specialized in vinyl signs. After a few years of referring customers back and forth, they decided to dissolve their solo businesses and join forces as Upstate Ink & Thread, Packard explains. The business has grown so quickly since they launched it, she notes, “it was either get the space and embrace it or slow it down.” That led to the business leasing about 4,000 square feet on River Road and moving into it this past May. The space includes offices, a showroom, an embroidery room, and a vinyl graphic room, giving Upstate Ink & Thread the space it needs for its three employees, Packard says. She previously operated Dolce Vita Children’s Boutique at Sangertown Square mall, and that’s really where her custom-apparel business began. Packard offered a few custom options for events like birthdays, designing the apparel and outsourcing the production, but people began requesting more and more custom items. The business naturally evolved, eventually leading to Packard closing the storefront and running a full-time custom apparel business from her home. Now at Upstate Ink & Thread, Packard uses her experience and background in fashion to guide product offerings, while Pearo is a technical whiz with the machinery. Now that the business partners have a storefront, Upstate Ink & Thread can offer more options, and with the showroom customers can now come in and see and feel the products before buying. “We love what we do, and I think we bring a little something different to the area,” Packard says. One service the business offers that customers enjoy is a print-on-demand option that allows them to order and receive merchandise faster. Instead of having to collect orders for weeks and then doing a big print run, customers can order individual items, which are printed immediately. “We’re just trying to do things a little differently,” Packard says of what sets Upstate Ink & Thread apart. The showroom is set up more like a boutique, and there are a number of prints that are on display and ready to go. Upstate Ink & Thread’s customer list includes Rome Health, Mohawk Valley Wellness, and several area schools. Business has grown so fast that the business owners haven’t yet done much in the way of marketing to attract new customers, Packard says. Most of their customers represent repeat business or heard about them from other customers. “We’re thankful to be doing what we love doing,” she says.