Meet the Apparel Decorators Committee

Alan Howe

SAATI Printing Divison

Technical Sales Representative

Inducted into the ASDPT, 2018

Alan Howe is a native of Detroit Michigan with 33 years of industry experience. He entered the industry in 1987 with the Former Harco Graphic (now Brown Mfg.) and has since held technical-sales positions with well-known companies including Jay Products, Easiway Systems, and Tech Support sps.

As a seminar speaker, with many articles published he is a familiar face at trade shows and industry events.

While always willing to share print knowledge and proper print fundamentals to the industry today and of the future, Alan has lectured in High School and Secondary Education, Graphic classes. Alan has volunteered his time to be one of the judges of the Screen Printing at Skills USA National Competition.

In 2018 Alan was inducted into the Academy of Screen and Digital Print Technology (ASDPT). Alan resides in Davison Michigan and is a Technical Sales Representative for SAATI AMERICA.

Amanda Maldonado

MESA Made

Founder, Creative Director

Amy Baker

Threadbare

Owner

Amy Baker is the owner of Threadbare Print House, a water-based screen-printing shop in Eugene, Oregon. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Amy loves hiking, spending time on the cold beaches with her sons and dog, and craft beer. Always learning new things about this vast print making industry, she loves being able to contribute to the community through work on the Apparel Decorators committee.

Brett Bowden

Printed Threads

Owner & Founder

Brett Bowden is the Founder/"El Capitan" of Printed Threads, an industry-leading, full-service merchandising company born out of his garage in 2010. By 2015, the company found themselves at #876 on Inc. magazine’s list of fastest growing companies. Their services include screen printing, embroidery, graphic design, finishing and fulfillment.

Christopher Bernat

Vapor Apparel

Principal

Christopher Bernat is Chief Revenue Officer at Vapor Apparel. For 15+ years, Vapor makes performance and UPF50+ apparel for the print industry. Previously he was Director of Sales at Sawgrass Technologies and multiple positions in the telecommunications and internet industries. He currently is an executive board member of SGIA. He is a graduate of Clemson University and US Army veteran.

David Landesman

Lawson Screen & Digital Products

President

David Landesman, President of Lawson Screen & Digital Products, is a former member of SGIA’s Board of Directors and currently serves on the SGIA Garment Decorating Committee. One of the early pioneers of screen print education, a champion of cross-platform imaging, and someone who holds several patents, Landesman is also the recipient of the screen & digital industry’s highest award for innovation and industry service, the prestigious Parmele Award.

Landesman has served the screen printing community since 1979, has published many articles on computer-to-screen, direct-to-garment, non-contact curing technology, troubleshooting, plastisol ink technology and other industry related topics. Holding degrees in sociology, management and education (Eckerd College), Landesman also earned a MEd in Future Studies (UMass/Amherst). Landesman serves on the Board of the Interfaith Partnership of Greater St. Louis, the Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club and is an active member of the Bahá'í Faith.

Dominic Rosacci

Superior Ink

Founder & CEO

Dominic Rosacci has been working to reshape the apparel and printing industry for over 11 years. He got his start by building the fashion street wear brand Neovolt in an effort to make premium lifestyle apparel. Through this experience, Dominic came to the realization that many fashion and textile brands are deeply focused on the bottom line versus quality and environmental responsibility. That’s when he started Superior Ink. Superior Ink is a premium apparel printing and design company committed to offering sustainable printing solutions. Dominic's focus is to build purpose and passion in the textile industry. Building and shaping brands is where he thrives and what he loves to do. 

Justin Lawrence

Oklahoma Shirt Company

Owner-Operator

Justin Lawrence is the proud owner-operator of Oklahoma Shirt Company. With his team of 40 rowdy Oklahomans' and a whole stable of Workhorse Automatic Presses, they tackle their multi-state Shirt of the Month products, always busy custom shop, and thriving retail line. As industry leaders, Justin and Oklahoma Shirt Company are always looking to partner with up and coming shops, industry giants, and thought leaders in the textile industry.

Kevin Kauth

Chromaline

Technical Sales Representative

Kevin Kauth is Chromaline’s Technical Sales Representative for the central states region and has been with the company for the past 10 years. In 2018 he was awarded Chromaline’s Salesperson of the Year. Prior to his time at Chromaline, he held the Applications Specialist position at Sefar and has a Graphic Communications Management degree from the University of Wisconsin – Stout. His extensive knowledge base for mesh and emulsion provides the perfect combination of overall screen making and he continues to give back to the screen printing community by teaching numerous seminars on the topic.

Lon Winters

Graphic Elephants

President

Inducted into the ASDPT, 2013

At the age of 21, Lon R. Winters was the Production Manager for Ocean Pacific. He learned screen printing from the ground up, starting his 30+ year career reclaiming screens. His companies have won more than 50 international, SGIA, industry publication and FESPA garment decorating awards and honors, has served over 15 years as an honorary Golden Image Judge, published hundreds of articles and columns, led a multitude of industry seminars and workshops, and consulted on projects large and small throughout the world. He is a master creative problem solver.

Winters is the president and founder of Colorado-based Graphic Elephants, an international consulting firm and apparel decoration studio specializing in screen printing technical advances, plant design, layout, troubleshooting, productivity, quality analysis and complete apparel decorating solutions. He was inducted into the Academy of Screen Printing Technology (ASDPT) in 2013 and is recognized for his contribution to the graphic printing industry. Learn more at www.graphicelephants.com.

Matthew Rhome

Epson

Business Development, DTG

Matthew Rhome is the founder of the Direct to Garment industry and the inventor of the world’s first commercially available Direct to Garment Printer the “Revolution”. He was awarded US Patent 6,095,628 on DTG printer technology in August 2000. Matthew was a member of the development team that produced the first DTG printer offering from Brother International and currently works for Epson America in DTG Business Development.

Nick Buettner

American Cut and Sew

Principal

Pete Lovelace

Booster Spirit Wear

General Manager

After 12 years in the Hospitality industry managing luxury resorts for The Ritz-Carlton and other premiere brands, Pete made a career change to better align his priorities and passions in life.  In the Summer of 2017, Pete became General Manager of Booster Spirit Wear, a custom apparel business serving schools and communities. Pete and his team are obsessed with providing outrageously good client care and prices their clients feel great about! The company has exceeded 6 million in annual sales in just 5 years and is committed to enhancing the lives of their team, partners, clients, and their communities to radically change the industry! 

Pete lives just outside Atlanta, GA. He’s been married to his Wife, Emily for 10 years, and both are graduates of James Madison University in VA. They have 3 daughters, Molly, Maggie and Annie.

Ted Pidcock

Chillybears

President

Ted Pidcock is the President of Chillybears and got his start peddling t-shirts door-to-door in student dorms during college. Chillybears, founded in 1988, serves the custom, uniform, promotional and corporate fulfillment market. He’s seen a major migration to brands that want print-on-demand apparel. In 2007 he launched Teddy the Dog. A direct-to-consumer brand. In 2015 he launched Resort Brand Beantown/ Chillybear’s largest t-shirt order ever was for 1.6 million pieces, part of an NFL Pepsi promotion with Reebok in 2006. They made pennies and learned that it was time to walk away from large brands who pound you down because they can.

Tom Davenport

Ink Kitchen

Co-Founder and Chief

Tom Davenport is Co-Founder & Chief of the Ink Kitchen, a company dedicated to the advancement of the decorated apparel community through the sharing of real-world knowledge, insights, and resources.

He is also the founder of Motion Textile, a business he established as a one-man print shop and grew into a multi-million dollar apparel decoration and distribution operation which he successfully sold in 2018. Davenport also serves as a board member for SGIA, the industry’s premier trade association.