Jason Rubenstein found a great way to promote his business and thank his vendors and clients at the same time. Rubenstein, who is co-owner along with Kenny Hayes, of Stix, a contract screen printing operation in Van Nuys, Calif., decided to custom wrap his Hummer vehicle and put it on display at the various trade shows he visits as a way of promoting his services to attendees.

The predominant image on the Hummer is a 16-color TAS automatic printing press, of which Stix owns three. Although Rubenstein does not believe that the average person on the street will recognize what it is, he knows that his core clientele, which includes urban/street clothing companies, licensing companies, band merchandisers, and promotional products distributor will.

“Most people who see the screen printing machine on the Hummer don’t have a clue what wholesale screen printing is. But at the trade shows we attend, these people know what an automatic looks like, and it tells them that we do T-shirts.”

In addition to the TAS logo, the Hummer also displays other vendors such as American Apparel. Delta Apparel, R-Bag, as well as some of his apparel company customers.
 
The Hummer made its debut in the main entrance of the south hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center of MAGIC (Men’s Apparel Guild In California) in February. Then it was parked in conspicuous places at the ASI (Advertising Specialty Institute) March Las Vegas show (outside the Venetian Hotel), the July Printwear show in Long Beach, and the August MAGIC show in Las Vegas. 

Rubenstein says displaying the Hummer has resulted in more business although of course, how much it’s hard to measure. “We’ve gotten response from it,” he says. “We get people all the time calling us and saying, ‘We saw the Hummer at a show.’ So I know we are getting business from it. The biggest benefit is it makes a statement. It lets people in our industry know we are here.”

TAS America makes a full line of automatic textile screen printing presses from the startup level to 20 colors.