MEDIA RELEASE
Cedartown, Ga. – August 24, 2017– A big idea born inside of a small office in downtown Cedartown has grown rapidly, yet with sharp prudence, over the past three decades. What went from a husband and wife duo of creating, inspecting, folding, and packing each product by hand has now morphed into a team of 46 specialized employees, with modern technology streamlining the process. But this isn’t the end of the story.
A new chapter will be written in the coming years as hometown entrepreneurs Jamie and Darcy Morris grow their “big idea” again. And this time, the sky’s the limit.
The Cedarstream Company, established in 1987, has announced an expansion that will allow them to grow not only in the present day, but well into the future. They are known nationally as the company that “prints America” and locally as the friendly, family-owned business that prints any type of shirt imaginable – from Little League jerseys to special fundraisers. The company is known for their screen printing on shirts, but they do so much more than that. “Anything that can be printed on, we can do,” said Jamie Morris. “T-shirts of course, but cups, hats, watches, insignia rings, any type of promotional item. We provide embroidery services and we’ve recently added a sign shop that handles everything from political yard signs to vehicle wraps.” They are a company that has not only changed with the times, but embraced that change as technology, capabilities and work orders increased.
It is that increasing demand for printed products that has fueled the Morris’ decision to be proactive rather than reactive. Cedarstream needs more room to grow.
The company’s headquarters, located at 225 North Main Street in Cedartown, will move across town to a new, larger facility in Cedartown’s North Business Park. Currently, Cedarstream’s new home is a blank slate of property. Come 2018, that location will feature a modern glass front 38,800 square-foot building — a far cry from the cramped office space where it all began.
“When Darcy and I started this business, we started in a little hole-in-the-wall office in the 400 block of downtown Cedartown. We did everything. I would print the shirts and Darcy would inspect my work. She wouldn’t mind chewing me out if it looked the least bit crooked,” he laughed. Later, the company moved from there into the current location that shares a store front with a few other local businesses plus an impressive Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia – which is another Morris family venture, spearheaded by their son, Daniel. Cedarstream also has another storefront in Rome.
Another reason for the location change: consolidation. “We really needed to have everything under one roof. This new facility will do that, plus give us even more room to use in the future,” Jamie Morris said.
The decision to relocate came to a head this year as Darcy Morris explains. “We had gotten to the point where we had to turn away business. We just can’t continue to do that. Everyone wants their products fast and the move will alleviate those logistics issues, as well as pave the way for the next 30 years,” she said.
Along with the move comes new jobs – something that everyone likes to hear – and an investment of $4.5 million dollars into the local economy. “We’re confident that we will be able to add 15 new jobs to the market fairly soon. We’re already interviewing and hiring and getting them trained so we’re ready to run,” Jamie Morris said. “It is a substantial investment in jobs and in our community.”
When Cedartown City Commissioner Matt Foster considers local entrepreneurs that have put Cedartown on the map, Jamie and Darcy Morris immediately come to his mind. “Over the past three decades, through both Internet booms and global recessions, they consistently invested in Cedartown, adapting their business plan to multinational markets, and they continue to find success. In this move and expansion, they are growing their company while continuing to invest and create even more jobs in Cedartown,” Foster said. “I am grateful for Jamie and Darcy’s local commitment, and I’m extremely excited for this new chapter in Cedarstream’s history.”
But now that the big news is out, another question remains: What’s going to happen to the current facility? Jamie Morris is quick to point out that vacancy is not an option. “Plans are already under way to redevelop the buildings that we will be moving from. We have some great ideas that we’re not quite ready to announce yet.”
One thing that the Morris’ do want everyone to know is that they appreciate local support. Though they are a nationwide business, Jamie Morris says that he never wants to see someone walking around Cedartown in a shirt he didn’t print. He says that with a slight grin, but the local entrepreneur side of him is strictly serious about that statement. “We are very fortunate to be where we are. That could not have happened without local support. This town is wonderful to me, my family, my business. We’ve had to extend our business reach across the U.S., but that does not mean that we aren’t truly grateful for hometown business,” he said.
And that is the end of the story – at least for now.