This “Design of the Week” features HTI Hall Trucking Express, Inc!
This week’s Design of the Week is HTI Hall Trucking Express, Inc, a for-hire refrigerated carrier out of Findlay, OH.
Founded in 1985 by Jeff Hall, HTI is a family-owned and Veteran-owned and operated business, transporting refrigerated and dry freight in the states of Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
Illustrated by Excel artist Tim Fritz, HTI’s shirt design was very planned and very specific. The American-themed design was thought up by one of the HTI employees, geared towards celebrating the patriotic summer months.
“We wanted these shirts in time for Memorial Day as we had a truck and trailer that was going to be in our local parade,” says Deidre Ewing, HTI Maintenance Administrator.
“The original design was to encompass the pride we have in our nation, our city, and our fleet. The shirts display one of our trucks and trailers. Behind the truck is our local Courthouse, and behind our courthouse is our Nation’s flag. The design is symbolic of how small businesses ‘drive’ a city, and how cities ‘drive’ the nation. And how none can exist without the other.”
American Pride drives HTI as a company, starting from ownership and continuing through to all employees. “We put great emphasis on taking care of our employees, which become our family. And we have a special place in our hearts for military, resulting in 25% of our team being veterans because we just get it – not because it’s the latest trend.”
Designing the artwork for the shirts was as smooth for HTI as one of their trucks driving down an open highway. “The design process was relatively easy,” tells Ewing.
“One of the great things about Excel is they are able to capture and print clearly more details than any other design provider I have worked with thus far.”
And for a company that specializes in delivery, Ewing and her team were pleased with the production process as well. “Once we placed the order for the shirts, they were on our doorstep a week and a half later. Working with these guys for company apparel was a breath of fresh air.”
“Our experience working with Excel Sportswear was as close to flawless as it can get.”
This “Design of the Week” features Summer’s Best Ice Cream!
Ice cream shops opening for the summer is one of the most exciting times of the season, and we’re just as excited to feature Summer’s Best Ice Cream as our Design of the Week!
Located in Johnstown, NY, Summer’s Best Ice Cream offers soft serve and a fun selection of sundaes and cold treats. With 13 flavors of soft serve available at all times, Summer’s Best always has standards like chocolate, vanilla, orange, and their most popular: chocolate peanut butter. They also rotate in other flavors on a weekly basis, featuring favorites like strawberry, coffee, coconut, mint, pistachio, maple, pumpkin pie, and more.
“People love our Sundaes, too,” says Mark Hayes, who owns Summer’s Best with his wife, Diana. “There are so many to choose from, and along with the toppings and different flavors of our ice cream, there are literally hundreds of different ways to build sundaes.”
One look at the photos on their Facebook page will reinforce that fact, as Summer’s Best and their customers take turns sharing amazing photographs of their ice cream creations. With all the positive reviews and recommendations, another thing that sticks out is their family and a pet-friendly atmosphere. They even offer a Pup Cup for the pooches.
It’s fitting, then, that the name of this summer-only ice cream business, “Summer’s Best Ice Cream,” shares inspiration from the Hayes family dog, Summer.
“Summer has been a part of our family for 4 years now, and she is a character,” says Mark, “and she loves ice cream! We have not found any person or really any other animal that she doesn’t like.”
Summer has found herself into the logo of the business and now is featured very prominently on the t-shirts. The full-back design, illustrated by Excel artist Eric Poole, shows the pooch holding one of their signature soft serve ice cream cones.
And, much like the company’s variety of ice cream flavors, this run of shirts is being printed on a variety of colors. The design was tested on a few colors and sent for approval and selection, but Mark and his team couldn’t pick just one. “I am trying them all!” he boasts, just like a customer in front of the menu at his ice cream shop.
The shirts are available at their shop in cherry red, royal blue, dark heather grey, and heliconia pink. And in a fun twist (pun only slightly intended) in the way the shirt is printed, the variety of shirt colors has a noticeable effect on the design. The color of the dog collar changes, along with some of the shading, and the most fun change: Summer’s tongue.
“At first I thought it was strange, a dog with a blue tongue,” Mark laughs, “but then I figured ‘her tongue could be blue from eating ice cream’ and I started loving the idea.”
Summer’s Best Ice Cream is located at 24 Briggs Street in Johnstown, New York and is open afternoons and evenings through the summer.
Like their Facebook page to stay up to date with their rotating flavor selections. (Keep your eyes peeled for the Chocolate Peanut Butter twisted with Banana! YUM!)
