Economic Decline is Helping A-One Graphx Grow

Very few small businesses in America are growing during the current recession, and capital outlays for new and/or improved production equipment for small business are at a 35 year low according to Michael Casey of The Wall Street Journal (numbers from the NFIB). The Siloam Springs economy has not been exempt from the national trends.

“We have seen a change in the way people order and in the way people shop for goods and services.” Says Jeff Thurstenson, owner of A-One Graphx Screen Printing and Embroidery of Siloam Springs. “Our customers are being very careful when they spend money on anything. They are taking their time and comparing prices to get the most value out of their dollar.” This doesn’t mean that the business isn’t there according to A-One Graphx, it just means that it is tough to get that business if you aren’t already delivering great value. “We are seeing that our customers are looking in places they have never looked before to stay inside smaller budgets. When we deliver an order we will get questions about how can customers find affordable sources for other products and services that they need.” Jeff Thurstenson says the most common product they get asked about is signs and banners. So, A-One Graphx decided to do something about it and add vinyl signs, banners, and vehicle and windows graphics to their non-apparel product offerings.

The equipment has been installed in A-One Graphx print shop in Siloam Springs and production has begun. Jeff Thurstenson says, “The recession has been tough on all of us. Some of us have had to move or change careers. For our business it has forced us to grow.”

Jeff Thurstenson has grown up in the Siloam Springs area and is a graduate of Siloam Springs High School. He was introduced to the screen printing industry as a child at his parent’s screen printing shop in historic downtown Siloam Springs, “American Screen Printing”. Since then Jeff has become a leader in the screen printing industry. He has written articles for Screen Printer Daily web blog (www.screenprinterdaily.com), designed software for screen printers, and run other Internet based apparel and promotional item products as a partner in Ozark Apparel, LLC (www.ozarkapparel.com). A-One Graphx recently moved to a new location at 1620 East Main in Siloam Springs, and their phone number is 479-524-4400.