by Max Marbut
Staff Writer
For the past two years, Christopher Williams had been working in a small manufacturing facility in Springfield. A couple of weeks ago, he began moving his business, Burro Bags, into its new headquarters at 228 E. Forsyth St. in the building once occupied by Futch Printing & Mailing.
The business was born when Williams and his friend, Matt Bort, who is a bicycle courier, decided what was already on the market in the way of messenger bags could be improved, so they started making prototypes.
It was decided that a “green” element should be part of Burro Bags. Williams discovered a material that was available and recyclable when he found his first used billboard. It was material that outdoor advertising companies often just threw out. Since it’s designed to be weatherproof, resistant to sunlight and virtually indestructible, Williams decided it didn’t need to end up in a landfill. He started making the inside liner of the bags out of the material, and that makes every Burro Bag one-of-a-kind.
“We just need a small piece of a billboard to make a bag and since the graphics are intended to be viewed from a distance, sometimes a small section can really look abstract and there’s no way to make two bags that are exactly alike,” he said.
Burro Bags produced about 2,000 bags of various sizes and designs last year.
“We use high-quality material. There’s quite a bit of sewing involved and each bag is made by hand. You have to have technicians at the sewing machines,” said Williams. “We’re making American goods with American labor.”
When it was time to move, a lot of research went into the decision for the company’s new location. Williams said he looked around Jacksonville and settled on a Downtown address for several reasons, including lower rental rates. He also wanted a storefront to sell Burro Bags in a retail setting, as well as on the Internet. The third reason was the environment.
“I can’t stand streets that aren’t gridded,” said Williams, referring to Downtown’s system of parallel and perpendicular blocks, an urban core trait.
Burro Bags will celebrate its opening to the public during the May 5 First Wednesday Art Walk. Williams said he has commissioned urban muralist Shaun Thurston to decorate the interior of the building and plans to make the new home of Burro Bags a regular stop on the monthly gallery tour.
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