To understand the hard work and collaboration involved in bringing print projects to life, all you need to do is read the whiteboard in the back room at Pine & Needle Print Co. Messages on the board include: cheers to one supervisor who juggled several projects and got them all done ahead of schedule, kudos to another operator for problem-solving a glitch, high five to the product sleuth who found a vendor for an unusual request, and props to Cynthia for polishing the flow of it all.
Cynthia Nesbitt, Operations Manager, started at the front desk back when the business ran under the well-known name of Stitches Embroidery and Screen Printing. That was eleven years ago, and today she oversees its rebranded operations. “We had a change of leadership in 2024, and we thought that would be a good time to refresh the brand. We wanted to connect with Montana more while still reflecting what we do, so ‘Pine and Needle’ seemed a good fit,” she said.
Today, this women-led business is as busy as ever with orders for schools, local businesses, recreational sports teams, and individuals who bring in special projects. “One customer brought in a blanket, and we embroidered the name of her newborn granddaughter on it. Often someone will bring in a memory pillow they’ve created for a loved one who has passed, and we create a custom patch for it. One customer brought in a pair of jeans and asked us to decorate them all over—the legs, the pockets, everything. That was a fun challenge.”
Pine & Needle offers three main services: screen printing, embroidery, and promotional products, and it takes a team to fulfill all those orders. “We have a crew of master multitaskers. While printing shirts, they have screens burning for the next job. And while hats are on the machine, the next order is being prepared to run. We’ve organized the shop so that they can juggle multiple projects, operate their own machine, and coordinate with other staff as needed,” said Cynthia.
Running a print shop is 10% ink and 90% logistical gymnastics. The multi-stage process begins when an order comes in. First, they search for quality and affordable “blanks” that fit the customer’s needs. Hats, hoodies, coffee cups, UV-resistant outdoor shirts—pretty much anything is up for consideration. “One time, a customer wanted a bunch of underwear screen printed. That was one to remember,” Cynthia said.
Once the box of blanks arrives, Cynthia reviews everything to make sure the inventory has arrived as expected. Then, the project might go to their in-house graphic designer to create or edit graphics for the correct print-ready format. When the right media file is ready, a department supervisor sets up the materials and equipment. This might include choosing ink colors or picking from a rainbow collection of thread types. Then, the printing or stitching begins. “There’s a lot more time involved than what some might expect,” said Cynthia.
“There’s a lot of programming in the background to get a quality end result. For example, with embroidered logos, we tell the machine where to put each stitch. Most logos average 15,000 stitches. Our embroidery supervisor says it's more of an art, not a science,” said Cynthia. For screen printing, every color in the design requires its own screen, so there’s a lot of set-up time and curing for each piece. “They’re touching each individual garment,” said Cynthia. “Our staff takes a lot of pride in what they do. Everybody here is amazing to work with.”
Being an integral part of Missoula’s print and promo scene since 1993, Pine & Needle has become known for its turnaround times and generous minimums. “The first quarter of the year we like to stick to two weeks. As the year progresses with school and sports activities ramping up, we have to juggle a little bit more. But we always try to give our customers the fastest turnaround time that we can,” Cynthia said. Pine & Needle also tries to make promo printing affordable for Missoula’s small businesses with generous minimums and no minimum for embroidery or heat transfer. “Being a small business ourselves, it's wonderful to have the chance to support all of the other local businesses by helping them get the word out about what they do.”
Their customer-focused mission is what has allowed staff to also build special relationships with customers. “People in Missoula like to keep up on who they’re doing business with. That makes doing business extra special,” said Cynthia. “We have customers who come in regularly, and we always end up spending time catching up,” she said.
So what kinds of industry trends can we expect to see? Cynthia identified a mix of the old and the new. “Trucker hats are still really popular; so are ‘dad’ hats, the relaxed style from the ‘90s, and ‘grandpa’ hats, which are more of a combination of the two. We do both embroidery and patches on any of our hats.”
As far as what’s on the horizon, a new print method called DTF (Direct to Film) offers more complex and colorful images. “With DTF, you can get a lot more detail than the old heat transfer method and more colors than screen printing. Right now, we’re researching the best equipment out there, so that when we do begin offering DTF, we’ll be able to maintain the same high level of quality and affordability that we strive for in all of our other services,” said Cynthia.
Pine & Needle Print Co. is living proof that you can refresh a brand and still stay true to your roots. They support everyone from Little League teams to small-biz startups with "no minimum" kindness. No matter the project, the mission endures: keep Missoula looking sharp.
“People in Missoula like to keep up on who they’re doing business with. That makes doing business extra special."
“Being a small business ourselves, it's wonderful to have the chance to support all of the other local businesses by helping them get the word out about what they do.”