Impressions - February 2020 - 33

Koala-Tees Inc. aT a Glance
C ompan y n ame: Koala-Tees Inc.
address: 9544 South 500 West, Sandy, Utah 84070
Foun ded: 1983
n o. oF employees: 5
deCoraTIn G meTH ods oFFered: Screen printing, embroidery
C ompan y WebsITe: koalateesinc.com

Koala-Tees' founder and CEO Wendy
Schenck-Benson says she enjoys the
art-creation process on multiple levels,
from illustration and hand-cutting
stencils, to creating screens and printing.

and three new embroidery machines.
Schenck-Benson and her husband have
rolled up their sleeves and done much of
the work themselves. Profit has increased,
with 2% sales growth in 2019.
Lessons Learned
Schenck-Benson enjoys the art-creation
process on multiple levels, from illustration and hand-cutting stencils, to creating screens and printing. But the business
lessons came fast and furious when she
started the company.
"I soon learned that this industry, as well
as most industries, was run by 'good-old
boys,' a.k.a. men," she recalls. "I was rejected a lot as a young lady selling to 'man'
industries such as construction, trucking
companies, mechanic shops and even
banking.They would not even give me a
chance, due to the fact that I was female.
I was horrified - and mad!"
Schenck-Benson pushed through; she
started bringing samples to client meetings, targeting the same types of companies
with the intention of writing orders on
the spot.To this day, she says, construction
companies write the largest orders and
constitute her most loyal clientele.
"I have not had to even think about
the gender issues since the 1980s," she
says."I take pride in making a connection
with my 'competitors' (men or women) by
calling them and sometimes even taking

them to lunch to discuss how we can help
each other.This has worked out great in
most cases. I'd rather play on each other's
strengths and help when in a bind."
To stay ahead of the game, Koala-Tees
researches and targets companies that show
a great growth rate and have been in business for a long time.The company's bread
and butter is in screen printing, followed
by embroidery. Schenck-Benson also emphasizes effective customer service.
"At Koala-Tees we make it a point to
fulfill our clients' needs," she says."We get
to know each person in order to create the
perfect product to accomplish their goals.
I am proud to call many of my clients my
friends."
Do-Gooders
In 2016, Schenck-Benson started doing
service projects in Africa with Global LifeVision, the humanitarian arm of Ideal LifeVision.With assistance from a friend,Robert
Mensah - who started a screen-printing
business in Accra, Ghana - she helped set
up a screen-printing operation in Kenya
in a 12' x 8' room with no running water.
"I had the privilege of meeting Robert in
person when I went to Ghana in 2019," she
says."I have had the opportunity to mentor
him [from afar] for a few years now. He is
such an inspiration to me. He produces
such great printed items, even with many
challenges. He exposes his screens with

sunlight. He has no running water and no
press, yet he prints images with halftones."
Schenck-Benson recalls an example
of a successful project for a great cause.
"When 9/11 happened, the entire country came to a screeching halt," she says.
"I was watching the news and felt very
inspired by the flag hanging over the
Pentagon. I created a design representing the flag I saw that day and decided
to have a little fundraiser for the NYC
firefighters."
She even contacted the local Sandy
City fire department, which jumped at
the opportunity to help. "We printed
for six solid weeks alongside volunteers
and Sandy City firemen, and sold well
over 20,000 tees."
Schenck-Benson then flew to New
York, spoke to firemen who had been at
the Twin Towers site after the attack and
presented them with a $60,000 check.
In the near future, Koala-Tees will
hire two key employees, and continue
improving and expanding the company's
social-media presence. Online stores for
clients will be created as well. It's nothing
but smart growth and continued success
for Schenck-Benson and her team. 
Jennifer Morrell is an award-winning writer who
has written for a number of national consumer
and trade publications. For more information
or to comment on this article, email Jennifer at
jennmorrell@hotmail.com.
FEBRUARY 2020

P.33

http://www.koalateesinc.com

Impressions - February 2020

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