By Maddie Sims | maddie@theexaminer.com
Custom t-shirt and embroidery business, Cocomo Joe’s, is celebrating its semi-centennial year since its establishment in 1976. The small business provides services for many different organizations such as high schools, clubs, churches and local universities.
Cocomo Joe’s first started in the back of owner Joe Ramey’s liquor store, after Ramey was inspired to make and sell custom T-shirts from his friend who would sell them at local fairs. Its name is taken from Ramey’s family name, “Cocomo,” and his first name.
Initially starting out with ironing hats and flock layering, which involves layering materials to create custom and multi-colored designs, Ramey was able to expand his business, but still maintain its locality.
In its beginning days, Ramey first started making products when custom shirts were not made with direct print, but with image transferring. For example, instead of putting the image directly onto a shirt, he would put it on a piece of paper, then iron it onto the material. Then, when technology improved, Ramey taught himself how to use the machinery andhow to make shirts using the new process. Over time, Ramey extended his business to include embroidery for baseball caps, drink koozies and even graduation caps.
Now both transfer and embroidery are detailed processes with both hands-on work and modernized technology working together.
When it comes to making custom T-shirts, major elements of its creation revolve around the design and how many colors the client wants. For example, a two-color or three-color print has physical cover sheets that have to line up in order for the design to appear correctly on the shirt.
Then, the sheets are cured through an automatic machine and brought into a small and dark room to prevent the design from getting exposed to direct sunlight, as doing so will negatively affect the design. Afterward, the shirts are washed and the emulsions are removed and sprayed.
For any embroidery design, the process involves traditional weaving of the materials together, combined with machinery containing colored buttons for each respective thread, in a process called hooping.
Finally after a design is made, it is ready for the client, but the prices for each design are based on multiple variables.
“Realistically, (a client) will usually provide me with what artwork they’re needing on their shirts,” Sales worker Alyssa Frederick said. “We’ll go through the process of giving them a quote and we do price breaks and stuff like that based on smaller to larger quantities.”
For silk screen embroidery, Cocomo Joe’s does not typically have price breaks based on quantities. Whether it’s one or 25, it’s the same price.
Whereas with silk screens, they are priced based on quantity. For example, if a client orders 12 shirts, it is going to be more expensive than if they order 200.
“It’s more beneficial for the actual consumer,” Frederick added. “Whenever they’re coming in, if they need to order both, we incentivize them to order more shirts. (For T-shirts) the different colors are actually additional charges. If it’s a single color design, it’s going to be much more inexpensive than an eight color design.”
However, embroidery is more cut and dry, Frederick said, as people typically will want simpler designs like a brand name. She said they will usually charge $10, especially if a client is bringing in their own design.
Ramey emphasized a major aspect he has prioritized with Cocomo Joe’s is keeping his business small and local, along with having a hardworking mentality and positive attitude.
“That’s how I’ve grown my business over the years…concentrating and trying to take care of the little man,” he said. “It’s been a long road, there’s not a lot of businesses that have been here for 50 years. Hard work is what it takes. You’re going to have some problems, some bumps along the way. But, the general idea is to keep a smile on your face. Llike my mother used to tell me, ‘When you count that money at night, you can’t tell who gave it to you… what color they were, nothing. The main thing is, it’s in the register… being nice to everybody…and treating everybody the same…that’s the formula of keeping customers happy.’”
What started as a simple desire to print T-shirts after taking inspiration from a close friend has now evolved into a service for many community members.
“We’ve been going for 50 years right here, and I don’t plan on changing anything. I’m 77 and I don’t plan on retiring. I got a good group of people here, and we’re gonna keep rolling,” Ramey said.
For more information, call (409) 860-5448.
