In mid June, NPC International announced that it would be making use of the former National Mills building at 711 E. Washington.
Just a few weeks later, Jock’s Nitch Sporting Goods has found a place to locate much of the old equipment, along with a few former employees.
On Tuesday, Jock’s Nitch will approach the Pittsburg City Commission asking for a $60,000 low-interest loan, with $8,000 of that loan forgivable. That money would go toward the business’s expansion into a new site at 103 S. Locust. The facility, a 10,000-square-foot building, will house a new screen printing shop.
By moving the operation from the current location, Jock’s Nitch will be able to expand its retail store by more than 1,200-square-feet.
The expansion will also allow Jock’s Nitch to add to its current screen-printing workforce of three full-time and two part-time workers. They will be adding four new full-time positions as part of the expansion: one graphic artist, two screen printers and one pre-press position. All four of the new spots will be filled by former National Mills employees.
The expansion will come as a boon to the business’s current screen-printing operations. The current space is so limited that Jock’s Nitch outsources more than 25,000 garments per year to printers in Lawrence and Kansas City. The addition of stores in Branson and Topeka increased the need for an expanded printing section as well.
At the current facility, Jock’s Nitch operates two manual screen printing presses. At the new facility, Jock’s Nitch will operate three manual and one automatic screen printing presses.
National Mills is selling Jock’s Nitch the equipment at well-below market prices so the equipment can stay in Pittsburg and create more jobs.
Jock’s Nitch is licensed with the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, Emporia State University, Missouri Southern, Washburn, University of Central Missouri, Missouri Western and University of Nebraska-Omaha. Jock’s Nitch is establishing a wholesale division to sell in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
Kevin Flaherty can be reached at kevin.flaherty@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 Ext. 134
