JEI Sports, Inc. has options available in screen print/apparel decorating; hoping to open store in downtown Market Square

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WITH THE GUYS — Blaine Jackett had his photograph taken with the Fruit of the Loom characters while at a recent show and workshop in Atlantic City, N.J.Jackett took several classes and workshops; some for new ideas in decorating clothing and others for getting the most out of design software.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    For JEI Sports of Maine, a division of Jackett Enterprises Inc., owner Blaine Jackett’s home is Houlton and he wants it to grow.
    For several years, Jackett has operated a line striping business, which takes him all over Maine and beyond.
    “Last year, I put 30,000 miles on the truck covering the entire state, along with several jobs from New Hampshire, Boston to Newport, Rhode Island,” he explained. “It was a very busy year.”
    However, through the off-season, Jackett was mulling over adding another business option, while still running the line striping one.
    “For a few winters, I thought what can I do — not to be busier — but, maybe get something going that isn’t happening here,” he said. “The main goal was to start something that I could develop and provide a few new jobs.”
    That is when he settled on a screen print and apparel decorating shop, hopefully in Market Square.
    “My goal this year is to be able to get a retail space and employ a full-time and a part-time employee,” he said. “If we can get a retail store going we can give a couple people a job.”
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ITEMS — Above are some of the items produced by JEI Sports, Inc.
    There are in-town businesses that offer transfers and embroidery, but Jackett wants to have a store where people can walk in and watch the process being done.
    In 2008, Jackett started this side business as a way to solve his wife’s dilemma.
     “When Sharon was teaching kindergarten, she always had a big kindergarten graduation,” explained Jackett. “She was having a difficult time in the timing of getting photos printed on a simple T-shirt. I said, ‘I can fix that.’ So, I did some research and bought my first heat press — a flat piece of iron that heats up uniformly so you can put pressure on it and apply [a graphic].”
    In February JEI Sports bought out Designs Unlimited from Diane Hiscoe of Houlton, who is still doing her scrapbooking business. She sold her T-shirt and mug business, along with the business name to JEI Sports, which continues to accumulate more equipment to get set up and going.
    Jackett recently attended the Imprintable Sportswear Show in Atlantic City, N.J.
     “ISS is the place to see the latest equipment, supplies, industry trends and techniques,” Jackett said. “ISS showcases the East Coast, with all of its new technology for decorating apparel.”
    While there this year, Jackett took several classes and workshops; some for new ideas in decorating clothing and others for getting the most out of design software.
    One item that drew Jackett’s attention was a DTG printer that sprays ink directly onto shirts.
    “It’s actually not new, it’s just that the prices for those machines are getting more reasonable all the time,” he said. “It will be one of the next pieces of equipment that I save up for.”
    He is also going to try to get into a process called dipping — producing a weathered look to clothes — which is similar to tye-dying.
    Other specialties that JEI Sports works with are vinyl cutting, signature shirts — cursive writing on a T-shirt like those for senior classes — heat transfers more along the patriotic theme, as well as he is licensed to add Chevy, Ford, Mopar and most any sports designs on clothing. JEI Sports stocks clothing, photo plates and mugs to water bottles.
    “We also provide heat transfers and promotional products, like pens and golf balls with your company name,” he added. “People will be able to order a single item to 50 or 100.”
    With kite season here, Jackett stocks ‘Skydog’ brand kites.
    “These are high quality rip stop nylon with fiberglass rods,” he said. “We have everything from the simple diamond kits to box kites, 3D kits, Tri-Plane (Red Baron) to the two line stunt kites.”
    “Once in a while, I am not going to have exactly what a person wants,” he said. “I have many different sport theme(balls) a person wants in vibrant, exploding colors.”
    Jackett mentioned a couple of websites where people can get ideas from at easyprints.com and art4myshirt.com. JEI Sports of Maine can also be found on Facebook.
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PRODUCT — Another new product added to the JEI Sports line is custom water bottles.
    “We also do customized work for fundraisers,” he added. “For schools, we can have a design and work off consignment. The school does not have to stock a lot of the item, just one, or two for display purposes, and then we can turn around and order what is needed. There is no worry of being stuck with an item.”
    Right now, Jackett operates his print screen business from his home.
    During the busy painting season he is on the road with his line striping business, Jackett’s turn around time for most products is seven to 10 business days.
    “I am available by phone and through e-mail while on the road,” he explained. “This summer, I hope to have added another employee or so to make that go much smoother.”
    In the last six months, business has picked up for Jackett, as people come into family reunions, graduations, weddings to spring and summer sports seasons.
    “My business is pretty much here,” he said. “I do have a customer in Bar Harbor. My goal is work and concentrate in a 40-mile radius and to take care of it. Items are produced locally. Money stays local by going right back into the local economy.”
    Jackett has also joined a national advertising agency to get more exposure. The Advertising Specialist Institute (ASI) has produced a promotional booklet for JEI Sports, Inc.
    “Using ASI enables me to market out what I cannot do locally,” he said. “I can produce most items 100 percent in-house. When it comes to specialty items of 1,000 mugs, we are probably going to seek the ASI group membership to help us out with those items.”
    “My hope is to take care of as many customers as possible  right here. But, through the [promotional agency] I can reach more people outside via the web [found at www.acadiapromotions.net],” added Jackett.
    “Most every customer I have is a repeat customer. I think there is a call for this business in town and once we have this type of business more exposed, and everyone realizes it’s available, more people may buy in town instead of going out of town.”
    JEI Sports gives back to the community by helping several non-profit organizations including area schools Project Graduations; Strong Tower Orphanage in Haiti and Adopt-A-Block, sponsored by the Military Street Baptist Church.
    Jackett, who graduated from CAHS in Mars Hill, moved to Houlton in 1978 to work for the Houlton Truck Garage. Since that time, he has operated his own line striping business and his wife, Sharon, runs the Bright Beginnings Learning Center daycare on Park Street.
    To have an item quoted call Jackett at 532-1577 or e-mail info@jeisports.com.