Ground Floor, revisited: Cedar Rapids company Shankopotamus sets new course

When the Ground Floor first visited Shankopotamus Global LLC in April 2013, the Cedar Rapids company was new to the golf apparel industry and gearing up for it first full golf season.

Since then, things have changed.

'Entrepreneurs are change agents,' said co-owner Steve Fairchild. 'Good entrepreneurs adapt to market opportunities.'

Fairchild and business partner Rob Brooks founded Shankopotamus in 2012 to make custom golf apparel for tournaments, fundraisers and corporate events using dye sublimation technology.

In dye sublimation, large printers are used to reproduce four-color digital images onto special paper. The images then are transferred to fabric using heat to turn the dye into a gas that bonds with the fibers.

Because of the flexibility that dye sublimation provides, Shankopotamus is able to print, cut and sew apparel on a made-to-order basis.

While Shankopotamus still makes golf apparel, the company's focus has shifted.

'The market has taken us into some other areas that have more demand for custom apparel and what we do with dye sublimation,' Fairchild said.

The company's new focus is custom team and fan gear for non-licensed organizations such as high schools, junior colleges and AAU teams.

'We will create a line of apparel for booster clubs that can be ordered one at a time and customized with whatever names and numbers they want,' Fairchild said. 'They don't have to commit to buying a certain number and tying up their money in inventory. They can get the money to whatever program they are raising funds for.'

Fairchild said a light bulb went on last year when he and Brooks talked to a high school booster club about replicating the school's football jersey onto performance micro-wicking crew-cut shirts for parents and other fans to purchase.

'One week later we had a spreadsheet with 300 jerseys on it with all different names, numbers and sizes,' Fairchild said. 'I knew we had a hit.'

In addition to football fan gear, Shankopotamus also produces team gear such as basketball jerseys and shorts, baseball jerseys, and motorsports crew and fan apparel.

'Our largest growth and volume has been on the motorsports side,' he added.

Recognizing that the company's name does not really fit what the business does anymore — Shankopotamus is a term for a bad golfer — Fairchild said he and Brooks are considering a name change for broader appeal.

'The key is how you react to the opportunities that present themselves.'

• Know of a company in business for less than a year that would be ideal for 'Ground Floor'? Contact George Ford at george.ford@sourcemedia.net.

At a glance

•Owners

: Steve Fairchild and Rob Brooks

•Company

: Shankopotamus Global LLC

•Address

: 931 Blairs Ferry Road NE

•Phone

: (855) 742-6565

•Website

: www.shankopotamus.com