25 years of national screen-printing

Innovative Ink, a rapidly growing apparel printing company with locations in Hickory, Connelly Springs, and Long View, is reshaping the industry with a commitment to sustainability, rapid production, and innovative technology.

Founded by James Causby in 2004, the company now prints over 2.5 million shirts annually for major clients such as WWE, Walmart, Amazon, and the National Parks program.

Through strategic partnerships and cutting-edge automation, Innovative Ink has boosted production efficiency while maintaining a strong focus on community and faith-driven values.

THE BEGINNING OF AN EMPIRE

Causby began the company in his garage. When asked how Causby got into screen-printing, he gave a simple answer.

“Beer,” Causby laughed. Causby said he was 21 years old and needed beer money to go to the bar. He decided to work at a screen-printing place with a friend to make some extra cash.

“We went to the bar that night and I just kept going with him to work and I really enjoyed it. I got exposed to graphic design, textile pruning, digital printing, and I really enjoyed it.”

Innovative Ink now operates a 15,000-square-foot warehouse in Connelly Springs, where it moved in 2015 from its former Rutherford College location. The company also has a warehouse in Long View, and a Hickory facility that includes an embroidery department and sales, marketing, accounting, and walk-in services.

The team spoke about the importance of screen printing in promoting brands and connecting with consumers.

“Everybody wears a shirt every day,” Causby said. “It’s a walking billboard.”

“It three-dimensionalizes your brand. It puts it out in motion. It’s a way to bring your brand to life into the community,” said Doug Auer, marketing director at the company.

SUSTAINABLE RELATIONSHIPS

A sea of royal blue shirts was seen in production at the Connelly Springs facility as the company readies to send out 28,000 shirts for the 48th annual Cooper River Bridge Run in South Carolina, the second-largest race in the world.

The company produces approximately 2.5 million shirts annually with the ability to print 20,000 shirts daily. Innovative Ink partners with major brands such as American Back Country, WWE, Amazon, Walmart, the Kentucky Derby, West Coast Novelty Group, national parks programs, and national sporting events.

American Back Country is one of the largest brands in the outdoor resort destination business. The company prints between 350,000 and 400,000 shirts. Shoppers see their shirts anywhere from Lake James State Park to the Grand Canyon. Innovative Ink does about 70% of American Back Country’s global apparel demand.

In the facility, Causby read a T-shirt tag to The Paper reporter, highlighting that the company does no greenwashing. Greenwashing is a form of advertising or marketing used to make consumers believe an organization is eco-friendly.

The words fair trade verified, hyper-local, made in the Carolinas, and reduced carbon footprint were seen printed on the tag. Causby explained the process. The company’s shirts start as water bottles, which are ground and then combined with rayon or cotton in facilities less than 300 miles away to create the finished product. According to Causby, it takes eight water bottles to make a shirt.

“The shirt never travels more than 300 miles before it’s printed and sent to the customers. 300 miles may sound like a lot, but to get all of this done in less than 300 miles away is amazing,” Causby said. “And it’s always very strategic, mutually beneficial partnerships. … So, when you go to the Grand Canyon and you see a shirt, it’s ours. … Made by your buddy in Connelly Springs.”

With a very soft texture, Innovative Ink’s screen print is nearly undetectable to the touch.

“We pride ourselves here is we do a very soft touch screen print,” Causby said, rubbing his hand across the shirt design. “This is the shirt you want to wear every day.”

The relationships Innovative Ink has maintained through the years are a testament to the high volume the company can handle paired with quick turnaround times. Causby also credited God’s favor for where he is today.

“It’s favor. … I wouldn’t be where I am. I strongly believe in the idea that favor is for others,” Causby said. “Doing what you say you’re going to do and being a good steward gives you favor.”

Innovative Ink also offers store-ready products for customers, including a relabeling service where the tag from a shirt is removed and replaced with the company’s tagless logo.

“To do what we do in this building, you’d have to hire six other companies to do it and that’s what makes us unique,” Causby said.

MILLION-DOLLAR INNOVATION

Innovative Ink has a piece of specialized equipment — M&R Polaris — to thank for fast-paced automation. The company purchased the M&R Polaris in September 2024. The million-dollar investment is one of 85 on the planet. The machine allows shirts to be printed in 4 minutes, spending 15 seconds at each station.

“It’s the most sophisticated digital press in the world,” Causby said. “It’s a scalable solution that takes less time with less waste.”

Prior to the Polaris, the company would produce five orders in a day, 25 in a week. With the M&R Polaris, the company can print 10 to 15 orders per day, averaging about 50 orders a week. To see machines of that magnitude, Causby said, one would have to go to Nike, Adidas, or Monster Digital in Mexico.

A LOOK AHEAD

On the horizon, Innovative Ink is planning a company rebrand, new machinery, and a possible move to a new facility. The company is looking for a 40,000- to 50,000-square-foot facility to complete everything under one roof.

Over the past eight years, the company has had a 30% compound annual growth rate. This year, Innovative Ink is already ahead in production by two months.

“For every problem you can think of, we have at least five solutions in-house,” Causby said. “Our error rates are lower than they’ve ever been. Our efficiency rates are higher than they’ve ever been.”

The team is also exploring the merits of a new machine that combines hybrid direct-to-film and digital transfer technologies. The digital hybrid approach merges direct digital printing with screen printing, referred to as “hybrid.”

The team sees the hybrid as an innovative solution for a growing market and potential for company expansion.

“The only piece missing is the hybrid,” said Chief Finance Officer Josh Ledbetter.

As the team continues to expand, Causby credits the Innovative Ink team for their dedication to the success of the company.

“The hardest thing I fight every day is private equity. Private equity is gobbling up all of these companies and they see what’s in that box out there as the resource. That ain’t the resource. … It’s the people standing beside that equipment all day long. … That’s the resource,” Causby said.