WILLIAMSBURG — Parkway Printshop has been a business in the community for the past seven years, first opening its doors in 2017 in the Lightfoot Shopping Mall before moving to its current location on 537 Second St.
Owner Jared Chubb said he has been around screen sprinting almost his entire life. His father began screen printing when he was 15 years old in the basement of Jared’s grandparent’s house, and he recalls his father telling him with pride about having clients, a bank account, and terms with his shirt vendors before he could even drive.
In 2017, Chubb was working full-time in his father’s printshop in Newport News, side-by-side with Alyson Collins, who is now Parkway’s Operations Manager. Chubb told her he was thinking of opening up his own shop in Williamsburg. With Collins on board, they started collaborating on ideas for how a shop would run, what it would look like, the branding, and the niche it would target.
For the business’ name, Collins compiled a list of words that were associated with Williamsburg and words that described a screen printing business. The two decided that Parkway (for the Colonial Parkway) and Printshop (one word) sounded just right. The duo spent the next few weeks talking about what they would do with a shop that was their very own.
Parkway Printshop’s founders dove in head first. They leased space on Lightfoot Road, got equipment, and focused on selling. Chubb recalls that in 2018, with less than a year in business, they bought their first automated press. Parkway Printshop continued to grow and began looking for a building to purchase in 2019.
Chubb and Collins found Parkway Printshop’s new location on Second Street, completely renovated the property, and it became the business’s new home in 2021. The same year, they added more automated equipment in the darkroom and purchased its ROQ Oval automatic printing press.
Renovations included electricity, HVAC, plumbing, walls and more. Chubb believes this has allowed the business to express itself through its modern-industrial design and allow for its “what’s up, dude” style.
Today, the business continues to focus on growth, both from a sales perspective and simply living each day to outdo yesterday.
Parkway Printshop says the majority of its business comes from partnering with local breweries and restaurants.
“We focus on retail-quality prints and products, and a lot of what we produce is resold to end users. This causes a trickle-down effect. A business owner purchases a shirt at a local brewery, he or she knows or discovers we printed it, and then they approach us to print shirts for their business,” said Chubb. “So in the end, we work with not only hospitality businesses, but all types of small to large businesses and events.”
Parkway Printshop’s first brand value is “Grow or Die” and the shop is dedicated to continuous improvement.
“It is not all about growing your brand or business. It is about learning, developing, and adapting to the ever-changing environment we live in. Time goes on; things change. Don’t get stuck in the mentality of ‘that is the way things are done,'” Chubb explained.
“Focus on growth. Become better at whatever is important to you. Grow your business, your income, your tangible items. Go after that promotion if it makes you happy. But, more importantly, grow mentally, become a better person, and live each day outdoing yesterday,” he adds.
Chubb says his favorite things about being in the historic triangle are the community and culture.
“Community is obvious and most people know and appreciate how amazing our local community is,” said Chubb.”But, I think people undervalue some of the cultural experiences we have here, especially around food and beverage. There are many high-quality places to eat and drink locally, some known by tourists, some still low-key.”
Parkway Printshop is open Monday through Thurdsay from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 8:30 a.m. to “noonish,” and is closed Saturday and Sunday. For more information about Parkway Printshop, please visit its official website.
