'Custom Tees And More' Opens Doors On Hamilton Street By Giving To Community
Added by Bill Bowman on December 4, 2016.
Saved under Business News, Hamilton Street
Ricardo Benson cuts the ribbon on his new store on Hamilton Street while the Chamber of Commerce's Juanita Painson looks on.
Ricardo Benson apparently doesn't believe in wasting time.
Even before the Lakewood resident opened his store – Custom Tees And More – on Hamilton Street, he was already working to give back to his adopted community.
Benson's store is a Marine Corps "Toys for Tots" collection spot, and he has also signed up for a virtual food drive for the Franklin Food Bank.
"I always want to give back," Benson said. "I always look for a way to give back. You get your blessings that way."
Benson's looking for plenty of blessings now that he has opened the store, located at 853 Hamilton St.
The opening was highlighted by a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Juanita Painson of the Franklin Township Chamber of Commerce, and a catered opening party later in the day.
A graphic designer by training, Benson said he will offer a variety of custom- and pre-printed products.
"We'll do t-shirts, banners, signs, we'll wrap vehicles, anything promotional," he said. "Every week we'll have specials."
Having a store like this, he said, "has always been a passion of mine."
Benson comes into the venture with about six years of retail experience, working in a store in the Mt. Holly area, he said.
He was introduced to Franklin by a friend, he said, and decided he liked the township well enough to open his business here.
"It's a college town, close to Rutgers, it's diverse, I just like it here," he said.
So much so, he said, that he is think of relocating to Franklin.
Custom Tees and More will be open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.