Cedarstream announces move to new facility
The plant is expected to be done in 2018 as the company makes a $4.5 million investment into the expansion.
A big idea born inside of a small office in downt own Cedartown has grown rapidly, yet with sharp prudence, over the past three decades.
What went from a husband and wife duo of creating, inspecting, folding, and packing each product by hand has now morphed into a team of 46 specialized employees, with modern technology streamlining the process. But this isn’t the end of the story. A new chapter will be written in the coming years as hometown entrepreneurs Jamie and Darcy Morris grow their “big idea” again.
And this time, the sky’s the limit.
After 30 years, t he Cedar stream Co. is announcing that they’ll be growing in the coming years and are making a move from their current headquarters in downtown Cedartown into a facility more tailored to their needs and future growth.
I ncreasing demand for the variety of printed products that Cedarstream produces has prompted the growth, which the Morris family has taken in ever-increasing steps.
Last year, they added sign printing capabilities with large new printers moved into the business. They already printed tshirts, have gotten into car graphics, and much more.
Cedarstream needs more room to grow, and so it’s time to find a bigger area to accommodate the equipment and employees that will make expanding their printing business possible.
The company’s headquarters, located at 225 N. Main Street Cedartown, will be moving in 2018 to a new facility in the business park located just off the Highway 27 bypass near Cedartown Middle School.
A rendering of the design presented with news of the company’s plan to move to a new home in Cedartown shows off what the Morris family business will be moving into next year. It features a modern glass front that frames the 38,800 squarefoot building — a far cry from the cramped office space where it all began back when the company was first established in 1987.
“When Darcy and I started this business, we started in a little holein-the-wall office in the 400 block of downtown Cedartown. We did everything. I would print the shirts and Darcy would inspect my work. She wouldn’t mind chewing me out if it looked the least bit crooked,” he laughed.
Later, t he company moved from there into the current location that shares a store front with a few other local businesses plus an impressive Museum of Coca- Cola Memorabilia — which is another Morris family venture, spearheaded by their son, Daniel. Cedarstream also has another storefront in Rome.
Another reason for the location change: consolidation.
“We really needed to have everything under one roof. This new facility will do that, plus give us even more room to use in the future,” Jamie Morris said.
The decision to relocate came to a head this year as Darcy Morris explains.
“We had gotten to the point where we had to turn away business. We just can’t continue to do that. Everyone wants their products fast and the move will alleviate those logistics issues, as well as pave the way for the next 30 years,” she said.
Along with the move comes new jobs — something that everyone likes to hear — and an investment of $4.5 million dollars into the local economy.
“We’re confident that we will be able to add 15 new jobs to the market fairly soon. We’re already interviewing and hiring and getting them trained so we’re ready to run,” Jamie Morris said. “It is a substantial investment in jobs and in our community.”
They are no strangers to adding to the local economy. Just last year, the family opened up the Cedartown Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia in part of the former bottling plant next door to their facility. It celebrated it’s first anniversary back in June, which has drawn thousands of visitors to downtown so far.
For full disclosure, part of the Standard Journal offices are located in the Coca-Cola building, and the Morris family own the space.
When Cedartown City Commissioner Matt Foster considers local entrepreneurs that have put Cedartown on the map, Jamie and Darcy Morris immediately come to his mind.
“Over the past three decades, through both I nternet booms and global recessions, they consistently invested in Cedartown, adapting their business plan to multinational markets, and they continue to find success. In this move and expansion, they are growing their company while continuing to invest and create even more jobs in Cedartown,” Foster said. “I am grateful for Jamie and Darcy’s local commitment, and I’m extremely excited for this new chapter in Cedarstream’s history.”
But now that the big news i s out, another question remains: What’s going to happen to the current facility?
Jamie Morris is quick to point out that vacancy is not an option.
“Plans are already under way to redevelop the buildings that we will be moving from. We have some great ideas that we’re not quite ready to announce yet.”
One thing that the Morris’ do want everyone to know is that they appreciate local support.
Though they are a nationwide business, Jamie Morris says that he never wants to see someone walking around Cedartown in a shirt he didn’t print. He says that with a slight grin, but the local entrepreneur side of him is strictly serious about that statement.
“We are very fortunate to be where we are. That could not have happened without local support. This town is wonderful to me, my family, my business. We’ve had to extend our business reach across the U.S., but that does not mean that we aren’t truly grateful for hometown business,” he said.
Cedarstream is known nationally as the company that “prints America” and locally as the friendly, family-owned business that prints any type of shirt imaginable — from Little League jerseys to special fundraisers.
The company is known for their screen printing on shirts, but they do so much more than that.
“Anything that can be printed on, we can do,” said Jamie Morris. “Tshirts of course, but cups, hats, watches, insignia rings, any type of promotional item. We provide embroidery services and we’ve recently added a sign shop that handles everything from political yard signs to vehicle wraps.”
They are a company that has not only changed with the times, but embraced that change as technology, capabilities and work orders increased.