Saving the Day for two great races in Pittsburgh

Saving the Day for two great races in Pittsburgh

What started out as a small order of printed bandannas for an upcoming 5k race soon turned into a long-term relationship that has had several opportunities for The Graphic Hive to don those bandannas as superhero capes for “saving the day.” The client was Run Around the Square, an annual charity event celebrating its 32nd year at Pittsburgh’s Regent Square.

When we first stared working with the client we received only part of the order for the nearly 2600 race participants expected. Our task was to print up 50 bandannas, and 144 volunteer shirts. Even though this was a relatively routine order, we were quite attentive to the details and actually re-created several of the logos on the back of the shirt for the sponsor’s list. We know how important these sponsors
are for each race and wanted to make sure that even the most complex of logos would re-produce well as a one color print. The Graphic Hive strives for quality results, no matter what.

The order shipped out ahead of schedule and graphic designer and race volunteer Christine Fish was quite pleased with the results. She was not as pleased however with the runaround she was getting with the chosen vendor that was awarded the larger order. We heard nightmarish stories of super small imprint sizes, missing sizes, and even shirts being printed on the wrong color.

Sympathetic with Christine’s needs and aware that the race was right around the corner, we were able to help fulfill an order of 500 race shirts and later an order for 250 youth shirts that were forgotten by the main vendor.

After all the chaos of hosting another successful race, we were invited to the event sponsor’s party in Pittsburgh. Even though a lot of our clients are located throughout the country, we love any opportunity to meet face to face and made the 3.5-hour trek out to the party. Throughout the evening we were constantly being introduced as “the guys that saved the day.”

Months after the party, we received a glowing referral and introduction from the event planner for Regent Square to Jessica Tedrow, the Education and Events Coordinator for the Group Against Smog and Pollution. Jessica was getting ready to host the second annual Clean Air Dash in October and was in need of affordable, quality shirts for the event. We were able to fulfill an order of 500 shirts and 60 volunteer shirts on time but ran into a rather unique issue. We received word, just two days before the event that one of the boxes never arrived.

After getting nowhere with the delivery company, we made the call to our supplier and placed an order for replacement shirts. We put in some extra hours and were able to get all the missing blanks printed up in time for us to take another trek out to Pittsburgh the following morning. Jessica was almost in tears as we arrived with the box of missing shirts.

In the screen-printing industry there are plenty of shops around and new ones springing up all the time, but finding the right one can sometimes be a shot in the dark. Anyone can set up shop, but the challenge is determining if they are able to produce quality shirts, are knowledgeable about the products, are passionate about what they do, and will go the extra mile when things don’t go exactly as planned.

In the six years that The Graphic Hive has been in existence, we have always thrived to exceed any expectations and deliver a quality product. We are a hard-working group that understands how important these races can be. We will do whatever it takes to make sure your shirts arrive on time and keep the racers happy. We understand that your bottom line may be one of the most important things you look at when bidding out shirts, but please consider the potential costs and stress of working with the lowest-priced vendor. The Graphic Hive is in your corner and has experience fulfilling orders for countless races of all sizes. Please consider The Graphic Hive for your next big event. Call 1-888-590-3310 or visit website to get started.

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