Impressions - August 2015 - 45

back a lot of what I've lost along the way.
Working 10-14 hours a day is one of the
best things that I've been looking for for
a long time."
"Here" refers to Blood's new screenprinting shop, Aurora, Colo.-based Runnit
Ink, which has been operational for about
seven months.

BUSINESS TAKING OFF
Runnit Ink has experienced rapid
growth and high demand, going from a
three-person shop to one that employs
seven in less than a year.
"[Seven] months ago is when we filed
the name and opened [the shop]," Blood
says. "So it's really just new, but man, we
are getting super busy. We're meeting the
right people and making the right connections. We've got some of the best artists
and printers that we could find."
Runnit Ink's near-3,800-square-foot
shop has been adequate for Blood and
other founding members Sara Garriques,
Scott Howell, Willy Carter.
"Basically, we started it, worked our
butts off and now we have a bunch of
employees, a bunch of machines that are
capable of 14-color [prints], discharge inks
- we're starting to really pick it up and get
going," Blood says.
Word has spread, and because of its
"no-job-is-too-small" approach, Runnit Ink
is filling orders from all sorts of clients.
"We're filling tons of orders, from resorts to sports, schools, churches, concerts
and festivals," Blood says. "We're doing
full-on [printing]. Whatever you want us
to print, we'll print it. We take all orders.

Usually our minimum is around 12, but
we'll do one-offs for [customers]."

WHY SCREEN PRINTING?
Though his lawsuit settlement contained enough money for Blood to live on,
he wasn't content. His vision extended to
his non-profit, his screen-printing shop -
which has become more than just a hobby
- and beyond.
"I got into [screen printing] because I
wanted to wear my own stuff," Blood says.
"I started learning about screen printing
and fell in love with it. So I decided to turn
it into a real job and hired the right people."
One of the people Blood hired is his
screen-printing expert Carter, a 30-year veteran of the decorated apparel industry. "He's
the man, and the reason my shop's going to
go so well is because of him," Blood says.
Their meeting was the result of Carter
doing a walk-in visit to Runnit Ink. Since
that day, Carter has been an integral part
of the progressive operation that sees itself
as a screen-printing shop for the future.
Why? Blood says it's because of its latestand-greatest technology, which includes
a 14-color, 16-station press and an M&R
i-Image STE II computer-to-screen imaging and UV LED exposure system. Though
the M&R Gauntlet III screen-printing press
is its crown jewel, Blood says Runnit Ink
is not content to limit itself to only screen
printing - or the confines of its facility.

EXPANDING THE BRAND
Along with screen printing, Runnit Ink
does vehicle wraps. It has an HD Latex
360 64-inch printer and, as of press time,

Runnit Ink's 3,800-square-foot shop includes a 14-color, 16-station M&R
Gauntlet III screen-printing press.

impressionsmag.com

Blood says his shop's state-of-the-art
technology has enabled it to be competitive and
attractive to customers since its doors opened
less than a year ago. This technology includes
an M&R i-Image STE II computer-to-screen
imaging and UV LED exposure system.
is purchasing embroidery equipment.
"Right now we do vehicle wraps, bumper stickers, window decals and screen
printing under this one roof," Carter says.
"We are expanding to embroidery - we'd
like to have that in-house, too. We're just
waiting for the machine to get here."
The expansion into a new decorating
process has led Blood to consider expanding
into new markets, too - namely the Grand
Junction, Colo., area. In fact, he wants to
bring two new businesses to the area - one
of which will offer decorated apparel.
"I'm opening up a couple more shops
in Grand Junction," he says. "One of them
is a CNC shop - it's a machine shop -
to build race trucks, trophy trucks and
wheelchairs. Much like a print shop, but
we just cut out metal."
Part of the reason Blood is opening
a CNC shop is his passion for racing,
which is possible because of sophisticated hand controls.
Along with the CNC shop is the second
planned Runnit Ink location. "Our second
print shop will be there in Grand Junction,"
he says. "That shop won't be open for eight
months, but the machine shop is being
built right now. It's 10,000 square feet."
After only seven months in the Aurora,
Colo., area, Blood is seeking more room to
print and fill orders, and it seems there is
no end in sight to Runnit Ink's ambitious
expansion. Future plans involve a music
festival and Blood driving a Runnit Inkbranded truck in a race.
Considering what Blood has done in
the seven months since Runnit Ink opened
its doors, the brand has promising growth
potential in the years to come.
August 2015 | Impressions

45
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Impressions - August 2015

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