May 8, 2017

Meet Tom Landrus and Lanny Leemaster of Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tom Landrus and Lanny Leemaster.

Tom and Lanny, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
After Lanny was displaced in the economic slump in 2009, the process to find a business we could purchase and grow seemed the most desirable option. Through working with a Franchise Broker, we selected Big Frog Custom T-Shirt & More for several reasons, one that it was a new concept of “Custom Retail”, and the fact that the owners of the franchise were extremely successful and most down to earth people you could ever meet. We signed up! Tom being self-employed as an “Interim CFO” allowed him to also take the time to focus on the opening of the business. For the first 9 months of the business, we concentrated on getting the Big Frog name into the public eye. We reached out to schools in the neighborhood, we wrapped our vehicle with advertising, we took ads in local fliers and newspapers, and gave away a ton of t-shirts to people walking by.

Our doors were opened in April 2010 in the worst economy in years. We purchased into a new franchise, being the 11th store to come on board. With Lanny’s design background, we asked the franchisor if we could modify the look and feel of the store interior. Even though there were already a couple stores around Atlanta (Snellville, and Cumming) the look was very much a just off the beach Florida T-shirt Store. The redesign of the space utilized bright vibrant walls with chrome fixtures, drop lighting, with upbeat music to shop by. The store furniture was also rearranged to promote a more inviting flow to the store floor. The FRANCHISOR loved the look and the Buckhead location became the flag ship look of the stores, which now total around 80 stores across the country.

One of the best things about “Big Frog” is that we sell t-shirts, and that makes almost everyone our potential customer. We “rocketed out ” of the starting line, and never looked back. In the pas t7 year’s, our store has seen yearly “double digit” growth, leading the franchise chain in either first or second place for total sales each year.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
What’s been a consistent issue is the relative newness of the DTG printing process, the consistent reeducation of the public about what this printing process is and how it compares to Screen printing, and both working for the best fit for their project.

Because we are located in an older shopping center, the infrastructure that supports the surrounding area has not kept up with the growth of the neighborhood. Our store location over the last 7 years has been flooded 5 times due to the that lack of updating drainage, rain runoff, etc.

Beginning in 2010, we opened in a very bad economy. Also with Big Frog being a very young franchise, we faced lack of Brand Visibility that we addressed by free t-shirts, newspaper ads, radio spots, and becoming “Partners in Education” at several school systems.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More – what should we know?
The niche for our business is the customer who needs a small number of garments printed. A classroom of kids going on a field trip, a corporation having a field day for its employees and needing shirts for team members, a group of runners supporting a local charity, etc.

We are able to produce for you with several different printing techniques from 1 shirt to 10,000 shirts. The main printing processes we utilize are:

DTG (direct to garment) printing: With DTG Printing, there are no minimums, NO set up fees, unlimited ink colors, with typically a 24 to 72 hour turn around.

SCREEN PRINTING: A minimum of 24, with set up fees and screen/film charges, limited color selections, and a production time of typically 7 – 10 days.

EMBROIDERY: Embroidery is offered with a minimum of 24 items. This technique has a onetime digitization fee, and then a per garment fee. Production will run typically 10 days.

With these various printing techniques, we have been able to create a strong returning and referral customer base, that has put us in either the 1st or 2nd sales spot for the past 7 years for the country wide franchise system (Now numbering approximately 80 stores). We believe our commitment to “The Ultimate Customer Experience” represented by Great Customer Service, and producing art for the customer that far exceeds their expectations.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
– Going above and beyond with the goal of exceeding customer expectations

– Getting over problem situations quickly and moving on.

– The willingness to “Think Outside the Box”

– Flexibility of working times, being the owners you are a 24/7 employee.

– Having a great sense for business certainly helps.

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