Page 46 - Print 21 Magazine Jul-Aug 2020

Digital Textiles
Meet Mary, the DTG printer
that changed a man’s life
Mary is the direct-to-garment printer that not only kick- started a man’s entry into textile printing but is taking him on a growth journey and causing a stir in the Fremantle Markets of Western Australia.
Ayear since its inception (and despite the hurdles of a global pandemic), Stuart Endersby’s t-shirt company, Freo T Shirts, is booming. He chalks much of the success up
to his garment-printing machine Mary (named after Mary Austin, the lifelong partner of Queen’s Freddie Mercury), and to the man who made the introductions, Dan Keast.
It wasn’t easy for the media-guru- turned-business-owner to step away from his 30-year stint in commercial radio, but making the leap to pursue his t-shirt company has been one of his proudest career moves. He has seen his business grow exponentially since its beginning, with a new shop already on the horizon.
“I spent 30 years running radio stations and networks before entering this new venture. In this time, we have grown a lot, we are changing our offerings, and once we move into the new shop, we will introduce printing shoes and digital embroidery,” Endersby says.
His story began after seeing an opportunity to set up shop at the Fremantle Markets. He started to research the opportunities in the direct-
46 Print21 JULY/AUGUST 2020
to-garment printing market, which led him to contact Brother International Australia. It was here that Endersby was introduced to school-teacher-turned- textile-aficionado Dan Keast, owner of DTK textiles, and local distributor of Brother’s GTX garment printer in WA.
Since Endersby opened the store, with the help and experience of Keast, the orders have not stopped flooding in. Fast-forward to today, and despite the pandemic, Endersby remains optimistic about what the future holds for Freo T Shirts. Even with limited access to print during Covid-19, he still receives orders through Google and Facebook. And, the wheels are already in motion to expand the business once it all blows over.
“Business post-Covid is going back to normal and forever expanding. My ultimate goal is to have several GTX machines in our operation, and to be a 95 per cent digital operation that can handle mass orders quickly,” Endersby says. “We are already on our way to making that happen.”
He puts much of his growth and success down to great customer service, top quality garments, good quality prints, and working with
a supportive network of business partners like Keast, who not only
Above
provide their expertise, but who also become close friends.
“I am amazed by the ongoing service, but more importantly the friendship with DTK and Brother,” Endersby says. He is inspired by the commitment to provide the same level of at your side customer service to his clients.
“I speak with each customer to keep them up-to-date with their order. It may be one of hundreds of orders for us, but for them it might be the most important project on their mind – we never lose sight of that.”
Greg Benardos, national manager DTG for Brother International Australia says, “The importance of the customer experience is paramount, and that experience is delivered by our staff, dealers, representatives
and products. Stuart and his business embody the future of this growing industry and is a great example of when passion meets opportunity.”
Partnerships play a vital role in the growth of a business, as the success of Freo T Shirts highlights. While Mary, the GTX, has been pivotal to ensuring that Endersby is able to consistently deliver a superior product, it has been the hard work and co-operation of all the people involved, that has enabled a dream to become a reality. 21
New direction: Stuart Endersby (right) with customer
Cliff Reeve and the Brother GTX direct- to-garment printer
Above left
Booming: Freo T Shirts