Some people believe in small, incremental change.
However, the owners of DARE Print & Sign Co. at 710 Main St. believe that big change can lead to big benefits — both for the company and the community.
“We identified a need for a new service in Fremont County so we’re here to offer it,” said co-owner Kenny Haferkamp.
Formally established in 2019 as a split off of Sagentic Web Design (also owned by Kenny and his wife, Erica) DARE Print & Sign Co. has leaped into apparel — a rather large leap, too.
After attending the PRINTING United Expo in Las Vegas in September and fielding numerous requests from longtime clients, the Haferkamps were inspired to enter the apparel world and came home not only with dreams and a plan but also with the equipment necessary to pursue them.
In addition to a slick new direct-to-film printer (which can print up to 200 shirts a day), the couple returned with two new state-of-the-art apparel heat presses and a 360-degree hat press. Unlike traditional clamshell presses, the new presses utilize a variety of technological updates, such as digital logs and upgraded mechanics, and can also apply a variety of finishes to different materials.
The hat press, in particular, can apply 3D, embroidery, and PVC rubber patches to an aspect of the hat — even the underside of the bill, which is a huge selling point to younger generations.
However, the Haferkamps have made their apparel business unique in their ability to complete small orders — even single pieces of clothing should a customer request it.
In addition to already fulfilling large orders for sports teams, downtown consignment shops, and the firefighters’ union, the team also has received multiple requests for small, personal orders.
“For us, because we keep a lot of shirts in stock anyway and because we have so many orders coming in, we’re able to do one bulk order a week anyway,” Kenny said. “So if you came in and said you just wanted one shirt, I’d probably say, ‘OK, I’ll put it on my Friday order.’”
In addition to fulfilling small, personal orders, the Haferkamps also encourage clients to personalize a variety of apparel. T-shirts, athletic wear, hats, and jackets are just the tip of the iceberg as nearly anything can be made unique and valuable.
As if busting into a brand new printing venture wasn’t enough, the family is also preparing to begin their aptly named giveback initiatives, which already include two important Cañon City entities: the Fremont County Humane Society and Cañon City Schools.
Shortly, the Haferkamps will launch their ImprintED program in which they will donate 100 shirts to Cañon City Schools every quarter. The shirts will be designed and created specifically for a student or faculty group with the sole purpose of lifting the community.
“We’re really big into education, Kenny’s actually a part of the Compass Committee — that will be part of our major giveback initiative to the community,” Erica said.
Additionally, they donated the Humane Society’s website, https://www.rescuerunway.org/, as well as the brand design, banners, and signs for the organization’s annual Rescue Runway fundraiser. They also produce print products for the society.
Though DARE has turned a new leaf regarding apparel, the Haferkamps have more than 20 years of experience in web and graphics design as they founded Sagentic Web Design in 2003 after they were both discharged from the Marine Corps. After obtaining an MBA and BBA in marketing, the two leaped into business together and had two daughters, Jeorjia Dare Ewing and Autumn Sage — both of which inspired the business names.
“We’ve been working together every single day…and we hear people say, ‘I couldn’t do that,’ but I couldn’t do it any other way,” Kenny said.
“We’ve always been best friends though, we’ve always hung out even when we weren’t dating or married,” Erica added.
They currently work with their oldest daughter, Jeorjia, who was recently discharged from the Marine Corps and is currently pursuing her own marketing degree and hope to, someday, open another location in either Colorado Springs or Pueblo for her to run. Their younger daughter, Autumn, is currently serving in the U.S. Air Force and the entire family strives to demonstrate responsibility and good customer service to their patrons.
“We want our customers to be happy so if a misprint or something like that should ever happen, we will make it right,” Kenny said.
At the heart of the business remains one of the community, however, and the Haferkamps plan to continue to be an active and supportive piece of it.
“We absolutely love Cañon City, and we have so many loyal customers that we love, as well,” Kenny said.
DARE is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday but the Haferkamps are also available for consultations by appointment on Saturday and Sunday. Contact them by calling 719-270-1008 or visiting https://www.dareprint.com/?keywordutm_source=google, or https://www.facebook.com/dareprintco.
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