Central Screen Printing (CSP), a cornerstone of Central City, Kentucky, has been serving its community’s apparel decoration needs since 1984. What began as a venture by Kenny Randall, a former Ebonite Bowling employee, has blossomed into a thriving business under the leadership of his son, Josh Randall. Josh, the current CEO and president, recounts that his father initially supplied his previous employer with printed bowling towels and accessories. A year later, recognizing a broader market, Kenny opened CSP to the public. Now, four decades on, this family-run print shop is embarking on a significant expansion, investing between $1.2 and $1.5 million to elevate its operations.
“I was involved from the very beginning, starting at the age of 10,” Josh told Apparelist. “I became a co-owner straight out of high school in ’93, partnering with my father. I’ve been president since 1997. We’ve grown to employ 130 individuals and anticipate expanding our team to 180 with this new development.”
Beyond Just Screen Printing Services
Screen printing equipment at Central Screen Printing, illustrating their diverse decoration capabilities
Josh and his brothers, Nathan and Jason, are partners in Central Screen Printing, each contributing their expertise to the company’s success. Nathan spearheads sales, Jason manages the embroidery department, and Josh, as CEO and president, focuses on strategic business aspects. His responsibilities include overseeing expansion projects, collaborating with production supervisors and maintenance heads for operational efficiency, and engaging in daily updates with the HR department. While Josh manages the business operations, Central Screen Printing prides itself on offering a comprehensive suite of decoration services, catering to both direct consumers and contract printing clients.
In addition to its core services in central screen printing and embroidery, CSP has diversified its offerings to include direct-to-film (DTF) and direct-to-garment (DTG) printing. They also provide order fulfillment and e-commerce store solutions, creating a holistic service package for their clientele. Currently, contract printing constitutes 40% of their business, while retail clients account for the remaining 60%.
“We routinely handle large print runs of 10,000 to 20,000 pieces, but our average order is around 100 to 200 pieces,” Josh explains. “In embroidery, we are equipped to manage orders from single pieces up to 10,000 pieces.”
Showroom of Central Screen Printing, showcasing their customer-facing retail space
Customer entrance and facility of Central Screen Printing, highlighting their professional and welcoming environment
Elevating Central Screen Printing to New Heights
Central Screen Printing’s diverse service portfolio and technological adaptability have fueled consistent growth. Josh credits their rapid expansion to a strategic approach to scaling the family business.
“We developed a model where we could predict the sales volume from new hires. Knowing the potential of each salesperson allowed us to accurately forecast the necessary equipment, graphic design support, and production staff to support that growth,” he details. “Our growth strategy then became a matter of recruiting salespeople and investing in the right equipment. Crucially, developing proprietary in-house software tailored to our needs—for order entry, production tracking, and departmental management—provided the backbone for accelerated growth.”
This robust foundation has propelled the print business to its current phase of significant investment. The million-dollar-plus expansion is self-funded by CSP, although the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority has provided incentives to bolster local business development.
Exterior of Central Screen Printing facility, emphasizing the scale of their operations
Production area inside Central Screen Printing, demonstrating the company's investment in technology and equipment
Close-up of screen printing equipment in operation at Central Screen Printing, highlighting their core service
Employees working in the production area of Central Screen Printing, showing the human element of their operations
Josh explains that the incentive program will reimburse CSP through payroll tax returns once specific investment and hiring benchmarks are met. These incentives, designed for manufacturers, are contingent on substantial investment and job creation, aligning perfectly with CSP’s expansion plans, which include adding 50 new positions. This translates to an incentive of approximately $15,000 to $18,000 per new employee.
While Central Screen Printing would ideally recruit experienced printing professionals, Josh acknowledges that “it’s rarely feasible. We typically provide comprehensive training for all new production staff. We incentivize experienced team members within each department to train new employees for their specific roles.”
Building a Strong Foundation for Central Screen Printing
With the expansion well underway, CSP has acquired all adjacent properties and an additional building to augment their existing footprint. Plans include constructing a new 60×150′ building dedicated to expanded production capabilities. Equipment investments feature the addition of three automatic central screen printing presses, three more dryers, and supplementary bagging and folding equipment to enhance their fulfillment services. Upon installing these new presses, CSP will operate a total of 13 automatic and three manual presses, running across two shifts.
Currently, CSP has already onboarded 20 new employees, and Josh anticipates the complete expansion project will span one to two years.
Offering advice to other print shops contemplating expansion, Josh recommends, “Consult your local industrial development board to explore state incentives. Leverage their expertise; they streamline the process, and their role is to assist you. I’ve found it’s more straightforward to facilitate the growth of existing businesses than to attract entirely new ones!”
For sustained success and growth in the apparel decoration industry, Josh emphasizes the importance of a robust foundation. “Invest in quality supervisors, effective management software, and reliable equipment,” he advises. “Then, aggressively build your sales team!”
