Taking a Manufacturing Approach to T-Shirt Production with Rodney McDonald

Running 210 people, 12 automatic presses, three shifts, and 30,000+ units per day isn't a hustle story — it's a manufacturing story. Rodney McDonald of US ColorWorks built one of the most operationally sophisticated contract decorating shops in the country by bringing private equity turnaround discipline to the apparel industry. In this episode, Steven, Bruce, and Rodney dig into the two inflection points that changed everything for US ColorWorks — hiring real directors in 2012 and pivoting to print on demand during COVID — how they incubated Fulfill Engine from the ground up, and what it actually takes to land and keep enterprise-level customers. If you're trying to think like an operator instead of a craftsman, this one's for you. Sponsors: GraphxSource: https://www.graphxsource.com/ Use PRINTAVOPOD for 50% off your first order Easiway: https://www.easiway.com/ Multicraft: https://www.multicraftink.com/ Mention Printavo and get 10% off your first order! Stahls: https://www.stahls.com/ - Use code HUSTLER20 for 20% off your first order! 0:00 – Intro 6:33 – Meet Rodney McDonald & US ColorWorks at scale 7:11 – How the company started in 2002 (promotional products → contract printing) 10:03 – The slow grind: what "scale creates scale" actually means 10:40 – 2012 inflection point: hiring the first director of operations 13:39 – Revenue/headcount when director-level hiring makes sense 20:47 – 2020 inflection point 32:16 – "Print on demand is not a printing problem — it's a technology problem" 34:04 – Saying no to bad customers as a growth strategy 41:07 – The Printful/Fuel dynamic: competitor, partner, or both? 45:03 – What Rodney would do differently Bruce Ackerman   / webmasterbruce     / webmasterbruce   Steven Farag   / stevenfarag     / steven.ink_   Interested in sponsoring this podcast? Contact us here: https://www.inktavo.com/inktavo-adver... TRY PRINTAVO TODAY! : https://bit.ly/4729qBa Check out a live demo: https://www.inktavo.com/tools-resourc... Printavo for iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/printav... Printavo for Android: https://play.google.com/store/search?... Follow us on Instagram for all of the latest updates:   / printavo   Check out the Printavo Blog! : https://www.printavo.com/blog/ #screenprinting #printlife #printhustlers #printavo #screenprintlife #dtg #embroidery #merch #ecommerce #printshop #screenprint Subscribe to the Printavo channel for more amazing interviews, shop tours, and tips for your screen printing business.