We live in an era where discussions on careers are accompanied by terms such as fulfillment, destiny and happiness. For men especially, work life often involves a need to build something of lasting purpose and value. Greg Hayes originally sought that in construction, but wanting something more, he found his purpose in building Blue Ribbon Co., Fredericksburg’s premier screen printing and embroidery service.
Blue Ribbon Construction, Hayes’ original business, became difficult in the 80s and he looked for something else to provide for his family.
“Somebody had a few pieces of this (screen printing equipment) in the garage, and I picked it up,” Hayes described. “But I ran two jobs for three years. I ran t-shirts at night and then I ran construction.”
At the time, Hayes was the only person offering screen printing in the area. It was a steep learning curve for Hayes, who claimed he had no idea what he was doing. But, with the help of a friend and his own personal ambition, he grew.
“By ’92, we were starting to run this solid, and it was running pretty good,” Hayes shared.
By using the term “we” Hayes referred to his family, as Blue Ribbon Co. has been, and continues to be, a family operation. His wife, Linda, has journeyed side-by-side with him while his daughter Melody continues to operate the business as a co-owner today.
The family moved to Fredericksburg from Austin in the 80s filled with a desire to live a small-town life. They wanted to raise kids in that culture. And Blue Ribbon Co. gave them a place to work together and build something that has now lasted decades.
Building Loyalty
These days, screen printing and embroidery are industries of high competition, especially in a digital world where designs and orders can be made through apps, websites and online stores. But Blue Ribbon Co. remains a stable force in Fredericksburg, largely because of small-town loyalty.
Early on, establishing those relationships meant a lot of physical work for Hayes who shared, “I was knocking on doors in Kerrville. I was knocking doors down the camp sites all the way to Ingram. I just told myself I had to sell a certain amount of shirts a day to keep it going.”
That leg work lasted about a year, but eventually Hayes and his family were keeping themselves busy with the connections they forged. And the business was simpler back then, Hayes shared. His catalog of products was thin, and he said there were only about four shirt options, compared to a head-spinning list of fabrics and styles available today. He and his family also did all the work manually, absent of the automated systems today where design is computerized and the product done by machines.
But Blue Ribbon’s loyalty is not only from customers. Despite the evolutions in the industry, Hayes has kept his employees busy and faithful to his company for impressive lengths of time. In a world of fast employee turnaround Hayes spoke of an employee who was with his business for 30 years. His current staff are mostly 15-year faithful employees. Hayes shared, “The trick with employees is, yeah, pay them right, treat them right. (But) have fun. We have fun.”
Family Business and Future
Currently, Hayes has split up the ownership of Blue Ribbon Co. to make it a true family operation. He continues to own the family business alongside his wife Linda, daughter Melody and long-time employee Jorge Rodriguez. Hayes described that he now pops in only a couple of times a week to do some design, visit with the staff and talk sports.
Hayes doesn’t really think about the business ever fading. When asked, he expressed confidence that the relationships built would keep the work flowing. His wife Linda shared, “Greg always said keep your prices low and keep your service high. And he does that.”
Hayes leans into those relationships, along with his family and crew. “I know that you can go online, you can get stuff online, but you can’t go in and sit down with somebody and create design right there in front of you on the computer, which is what people do with me.”
Linda even spoke of how their partnership in business helped them keep peace in the home, knowing they would have to work together throughout their day.
A tour of the workshop revealed fast machines stitching embroidery on shirts for Fredericksburg Fire/EMS. For decades, Hayes and Blue Ribbon have produced the iconic shirts for nearby Luckenbach, Texas. Staff shuffle around like working ants while machines buzz, click and hum as t-shirts and hats are stacked and folded. Nothing is slowing. As Hayes reflected on the business’s future with his family, “Blue Ribbon is in good hands.”
Blue Ribbon Co. is located at 157 Industrial Loop in Fredericksburg. Call them at 830-997-9926 or visit them online at HelloBlueRibbon.com.