Business & Tech

Business Beat: Janet Pickett of Patchogue Printing and Web Design

Meet Janet Pickett of Patchogue Printing and Web Design.

Janet and Jim Pickett have been running since its inception 21 years ago. They have since added web design to their business and have moved to a new East Patchogue location at 426 East Main Street. Patch talked with Janet Pickett about what it has been like running her business.

Patch: Describe what your business is?

Pickett: We are a small family owned print shop that works with local businesses to improve their image by redesigning their logo, making sure their stationery, brochures, business cards and direct mail reflect the image they want to project. We can create, redesign, maintain or promote your website. We strive for quality and personal service.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

We also offer advertising specialties that can produce anything from pens, mugs, mouse pads, T-shirts, candy jars, labels, post its etc with your name and logo to keep your name in front of potential customers.

We offer one of the largest selection of invitations on Long Island for weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Sweet sixteen, Birth Announcements, Showers, Anniversaries, Birthdays or any other occasion you can imagine.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Our specialty is custom invitations. We can produce an invitation for your theme, when you can't find what you want. Especially Sweet Sixteen parties!

Patch: Where are you from and what is your personal/professional background?

Pickett: Twenty-one years ago, we bought a print shop called McPrint. Jim being an engineer and myself, a teacher, began to learn a new career.

Twenty-one years later, we are still in business and thriving.

The printing business has gone through many changes and Patchogue Printing has been keeping up. Twenty-one years ago printing was done with presses that used chemicals. Chemicals were used to develop negatives and offset plates. The smells and the noise made it a difficult place to work for some people. Today, our presses are all digital and use soy based ink or toner. Jobs are sent directly from the computer to the machines, eliminating the toxic chemicals and noise of the presses. Use of recycled paper is also making the printing business more environmentally friendly.

Patchogue Printing & Web Design is very involved in Patchogue and tries to give back to the community. We have given tours to girl scouts and boy scouts for badges, and assisted students with producing their own yearbook. I was on the Board of Directors of the Patchogue Medford Youth and Community Services for 13 years. Over the last 21 years, I have been a Vice President, Director, Secretary and a chair and member of many committees of the Chamber and involved in most of their activities. Jim is a member of the Lions Club.

Patchogue Printing has a philosophy that "Your Image is Our Business". Our goal is to make your business the best it can be and promote it in the best way possible. We have the graphic capabilities to produce a direct mail piece, print it, obtain a mailing list, address them and take them to the post office. We can do stationery, forms, tickets, self inking stamps, announcements, copies, color copies, and promotional items. We can put your name on mugs, pens, calendars, golf accessories, candy jars and anything else that can be printed.

Social Invitations are also a big part of our business. We have over 45 social invitation catalogs to fit anyone's taste. It is one of the largest selections of invitations on Long Island. We can also do custom theme invitations at a very reasonable price.

Recently, through Krystle DiNicola of KLD Web Designs, we have included Web Development services as part of our business. Krystle and her team have already helped many local businesses design, redesign, maintain or promote their websites. She also offers social media management services.

Patchogue Printing had been in the same location for 20 years. It was the old Wauldbauer building. However, due to progress, we were forced to move to a new location as the building is part of the project and the building is scheduled for demolition.

We moved on October 30 to 426 E. Main St. in Patchogue. We are across the street from Casino Clam, between LIPA and Salvation Army. The new location is spacious with lots of room to browse through all the invitation catalogs as well as the business catalogs.

We hope you will stop in and see our new location.

Patch: Why did you decide to open your business in Patchogue?

Pickett: Having been laid off as an engineer and teacher, we needed to find a job that produced income immediately. There were no jobs for engineers or teachers in 1991 on Long Island. We could either move to another state or buy a business here. We thought printing would be a business that everyone needed no matter what. We needed an existing business because we needed immediate income. There was a business for sale in Patchogue and we thought we could make it work.

Patch: What do you hope to accomplish with your business?

Pickett: We hoped we could keep a roof over our heads and put our 2 daughters through college. So far we have accomplished that. Our next goal is retirement.

Patch: What types of work do clients typically come to you for?

Pickett: Commercial printing such as stationery, brochures, business cards, direct mail, postcards, checks, stamps, labels and small specialty jobs that no other print shop will deal with.

We do a tremendous amount of social invitations of all kinds. Advertising specialties are also a large part of our business.

Patch: What is your favorite and least favorite aspect of running your business?

Pickett: Love dealing with people. Best part of the business. The creative aspect of design is fun.

Least favorite is the marketing and the paperwork. Deadlines are not our favorite.

Patch: What specific challenges do you face with running your business and making it work in today's economy?

Pickett: The internet is hurting us as well as in office printers and copiers. Everyone can order printing online, from commercial to social invitations.
People can also now email newsletters and postcards instead of sending direct mail.

Beware! Internet companies are not always legitimate. You cannot feel the quality of the paper. The reason the price is less is because the quality is less. You may not receive what you ordered. People come in everyday that have received an invitation that is wrong, of poor quality or not what they thought they ordered. The company does not return their emails or answer their phone calls. They come to me to order again.

When you come to me, there are no problems. If something is wrong, I fix it and you don't have to worry about a thing.

Patch: How can people reach you?

Pickett: 631-447-1506
631-447-1508 Fax
patchogueprint@optonline.net
www.PatchoguePrinting.com

In Business Beat, Patch will talk to local business owners in the Patchogue and Medford area of new and established places in the area. Want to be featured? Email michael@patch.com.

Other Business Beat Profile Stories To Check Out:


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here