April 9, 2010


UNIVERSITY TEES HEADQUARTERS AND PRODUCTION COMES TO LAKEWOOD
COMPANY RECEIVES $50,000 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUND LOAN

University Tees, a growing business owned by Lakewood residents, is moving its headquarters to Lakewood this summer. The company sells apparel products to college campuses across the nation.

The growing business already opened a production facility in Lakewood in September of 2009 as part of its newly created company, 717 Ink. The company decided to stop outsourcing their printing processes and 717 Ink is the exclusive screen-printer for University Tees. 717 Ink recently entered into a long term lease at Lakewood’s Templar Office Complex (formerly the Lake Erie Screw Building), 13000 Athens Avenue.

“I have called Lakewood home for over five years, and I’m excited to call Lakewood the home for University Tees,” said Joe Haddad, Vice-President of University Tees. “A majority of our team lives here, and this move will mean a lot to everyone.”

To help grow their business, 717 Ink and University Tees applied for and received a $50,000 loan from Lakewood’s economic development fund to finance the purchase of capital equipment the companies needed to facilitate their growth. The loan will be repaid in just few years.

“Small business is big business in Lakewood. That’s why the city established our economic development fund to grow small, growing, businesses” said Nathan Kelly, Lakewood’s Director of Planning and Development. “We’re glad to be part of their growth and proud that they are calling Lakewood home.”

University Tees will move their office headquarters to Lakewood in the summer of 2010. Together, this growing business will bring a dozen new jobs and almost $500,000 in new payroll to Lakewood. Their conservative growth projections place their 2011 payroll over $500,000. They expect to double their size in five years.

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For further information, contact Nathan Kelly, Director of Planning and Development, at (216) 529-6630 or Joe Haddad, Vice President of University Tees, at (800) 460-8337 x201.