It's been said that two heads are better than one. Now two Tallahassee businesswomen have put their heads - and their companies - together. They're convinced that the resulting combined enterprise will be a competitive winner.
Tracey Shrine, the longtime co-owner of Full Press Apparel, is showing off the firm's high-volume, computerized screen-printing carousels.
The devices typically print logos and artwork onto tee-shirts and other clothing items. Not far away is the room that houses long banks of automated stitching machines. These devices emboss designs onto things like golf shirts and hats. For three decades, Full Press has had a vibrant business. And now the operation is expanding. Full Press has merged with another local firm, M and M Monogramming and More. Its owner is Holly Curry.
"I started talking to Tracey maybe a year ago. M&M is fairly small, especially compared to Full Press and we do a lot more niche type work, a lot more custom (work.)"
Full Press's Tracey Shrine believes it's a perfect combination.
"Holly and I have known each other for several years. Tallahassee is about 1 degree of separation. So we've known each other through mutual friends, and we've often called on each other for, 'Hey, I've got this weird decoration, technique, or do you do this?' and vice versa. So we've always had a very collaborative relationship."
And now, she says all of Curry's specialized skills and commercial connections have been brought in-house.
"We've been in business almost 30 years now. We've gotten away from the smaller orders and have become more of a production oriented environment. With, that, bringing her expertise and skills and some of her clientele is just a good mix and gives everyone some of what they want."
One thing both Tracey Shrine and Holly Curry want is to be a much stronger competitor for the big national firms. Curry says hometown companies can be far more responsive and customer focused.
"And I think that's an important role that small businesses play is we're on your team. So we can help you if you have an issue we're going to fix it. We're not just no-face, a different person every time. We build a relationship with you. We know what you want. We learn your style and the things you like and it just becomes a good relationship so it makes it easy on you and you go away feeling good, you know?"
Shrine expects the merger will only mean an overall increase in business going forward.
"From 2024 to '25, our online sales were up 70% year-over-year and they continue to grow in that area. So it's going to combine additional walk-in traffic from the clients that were used to going to M&M and Holly's retail space and then using those clients as a catalyst for other business."
The combined firm operates out of the Full Press shop on Garber Drive off of West Tharpe Street.
