by Joe Wilhelm Jr.
Staff Writer
Winners sell, normally.
Vivid Images USA, Inc., owner Dan Tapper was happy to see the Brumos Porsche Racing Team on the podium at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona race this Sunday, not only because he is a proud Porsche owner, but because there is the possibility he will be commissioned to create some T-shirts to commemorate the victory. The race teams went down to Daytona with shirts made by Tapper.
“Dan has produced some good designs for us and is very prompt with deliveries,” said Buddy Kennedy, Brumos Porsche parts manager. “Everyone is pretty excited here. We’ll be placing an order for some T-shirts celebrating the win at Daytona.”
The shirts will be sold at the dealer’s boutique at its Atlantic Boulevard location and online.
Another business booster for Tapper is a Jaguars playoff run, but that didn’t happen this year. The screen printing and embroidery business still managed to get a job from the team as the coaches headed to Mobile, Ala., to guide the South team at the Senior Bowl.
“We did the coaches gear for the Senior Bowl,” said Tapper. “We personalized it by adding the coaches names to it, everything, down to the towels.”
One winner that wasn’t as big a boon to Tapper’s bottom line as they have been in the past were the Florida Gators. Apparel companies target “hot markets” for championship gear and contract with companies to produce enough product to meet the demand of frenzied fans after their team wins a title.
Tapper’s retail and production facility off of Talleyrand Avenue near the stadium was open 24-hours-a-day for four days after the Gators won their second national title against Ohio State in 2006, but the demand wasn’t as high earlier this month when Florida beat Oklahoma.
“We had one day where we were running the presses for 24 hours,” said Tapper, who had two of three contracts to print shirts canceled two weeks prior to the game. “Two years ago we did about 40,000 championship shirts, but this time we did about 4,200. One of the companies told me it might have been better if someone who hasn’t won a title in a couple of years won the game.”
Tapper felt it was just a result of the economy, that people were just being a little more careful about spending money. This notion was echoed by another retailer.
“We’ve sold quite a bit, but not like we did during the last national championship,” said Joe Sorrell, manager at Regency Park Jagmania. “It’s the way the economy is going. People are waiting to see what is going to happen with the economy and they are holding back a little.”
Tapper isn’t holding back just because football season is over. Baseball season is right around the corner — 72 days until the Jacksonville Suns hit the field, in fact — and Tapper will be making shirts and hats for the newest Florida Marlins affiliate when the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville open in April.
“We just move from one sport to the next,” said Tapper. “We will also design shirts for the Lakeland Flying Tigers.”
While the company has produced shirts for teams as far away as Oregon State University football, they are now watching to see how the NBA’s Orlando Magic compete this season.
“We are pulling for them hard,” said Tapper. “I’d like to buy another press.”
Sports-themed products may get more attention, but it’s a smaller part of the pie for Tapper’s business. The company also customizes uniforms and creates T-shirts for restaurants and other businesses.
“The sports stuff is a shot in the arm,” said Tapper. “It helps us buy new equipment.”
He estimated that sports-related products account for 20 percent of the business during a normal year and that number can shoot up to 40 percent if the Jaguars go to the playoffs.
“I’ve been a season ticket holder for about 10 years,” said Tapper. “But I’m really pulling for them now.”
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