Screen Designs, Inc. owners Manny and Mary Ellen Contompapis in their showroom at 2009 Central Ave. in Colonie, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.
A look inside Screen Designs, Inc. printing shop at 2009 Central Ave. in Colonie, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023. Boxers For Men
Screen Designs, Inc. owner Manny Contompapis shows one of the printers in a light-sensative room at 2009 Central Ave. in Colonie, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.
A look at the exterior of Screen Designs, Inc. at 2009 Central Ave. in Colonie, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.
Screen Designs, Inc. owners Manny and Mary Ellen Contompapis in their showroom at 2009 Central Ave. in Colonie, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.
A look inside Screen Designs, Inc. printing shop at 2009 Central Ave. in Colonie, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.
Screen Designs, Inc. owner Manny Contompapis shows one of the printers in a light-sensative room at 2009 Central Ave. in Colonie, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.
A look at the exterior of Screen Designs, Inc. at 2009 Central Ave. in Colonie, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023.
COLONIE — Manny Contompasis' first big print job was designing 1,000 T-shirts for a bar on Great Sacandaga Lake, but he almost caught the house on fire doing it.
He had hung up the shirts throughout the basement and garage, but then forgot to empty the lint from the dryer.
Nonetheless, he said his parents were proud of him.
“From there, I never looked back,” said the owner of Screen Designs Inc. in Colonie.
But the story of Contompasis getting into designing apparel and other items goes back to 1979, when he was working at both Ellis Hospital and his cousin’s textile factory. Contompasis, who grew up in Schenectady, was on the Ellis softball team at the time, and they needed shirts. So, he made them. Then, while at SUNY College of Technology at Utica-Rome, now SUNY Polytechnic Institute, he ended up making 400 shirts for a group of students after overhearing they needed some.
“One thing led to another, and then another, and here we are,” he said.
Contompasis opened his first print shop in Cohoes in 1983. He would eventually move to Schenectady in 1993, and then Colonie 15 years later.
After 40 years, he now operates two buildings for the business in Colonie and his largest order to date was a quarter-of-a-million hats and tees, combined, for Subway's Eat Fresh campaign.
But, Contompasis, who now lives in Niskayuna, still remembers his Capital Region roots. Many of his clients are names people in the area would recognize — or might even be wearing.
He’s worked with places like Vent Fitness, Homestyle Pizza, Osteria Danny and the Lanzi family, which operates four restaurants in Fulton County and one in Montgomery County.
As the company expanded over the years, Contompasis brought on employees to help create the pieces, including his wife Mary Ellen Contompasis in late 1990s. She had previously worked for Guilford-Mills. Now, she is his CFO.
He’s also said he has a team of “very talented people” who have been with them for many years.
“They really are the driving force behind our company,” he said.
Much of what’s changed about the business over the years is technology. In 1985, Contompasis was only the second person in the Capital District to own an automated printer, he said.
“That really propelled our business,” he said.
Inside the 2009 Central Ave. location, is a direct-to-screen machine, which he said has also helped automate the printing process, and 14-color and 10-color automatic printers, which allow them to do multiple shirts at a time.
Besides designing and printing items, the company also does embroidery and digital work at a second location on Central Avenue about a minute or two drive from the main store. That location was opened a few years ago, Contompasis said.
People also expect their orders faster and faster, especially in the age of Amazon, Contompasis said.
Through it all, even though the company continues to grow, Contompasis said it really doesn’t feel like a job to him anymore, because he loves doing it.
“It doesn’t seem like it’s been 40 years,” he said. “I don’t want to sound cliché but they say find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Contompasis said his favorite part is seeing the product come together from beginning to end.
“Seeing it go from their artwork to our graphics team to our print shop to the end product to when they open their box, it’s fantastic,” he said. “We thrive for one thing, when they open up their drawer, we want them to grab something we designed, something special.”
Reporter Shenandoah Briere can be reached at sbriere@dailygazette.net.
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