Opening a local business together provided a well-deserved and much-needed break from life on the road for Jake and Shirley Emhof.
Jake and Shirley, Chenango County natives, said they have seen lot, done a lot and have experienced a lot in the past several years.
Jake said he and Shirley met at Columbus Community Church in 1997. “I have done various things ... I have worked in insurance, been a trustee on the Village Board in New Berlin, and I was even mayor at one point,” said Jake.
In time, Shirley, who had been working for Apple Converting in Norwich, started looking into a company that contracted people to make emergency and high-end deliveries for various organizations and companies throughout the United States. After researching the occupation for some time, the couple decided the business endeavor was something they would be interested in.
For 10 years the couple traveled up to three weeks a month delivering various packages across the country. Besides traveling the United States, the Emhofs also said they have been to all but two provinces in Canada. “We got to see stuff most people on vacation don’t even get to see,” said Jake.
As contractors, the couple says they had all the necessary equipment, the vehicles and the transportation devices to carry the rarest of goods for numerous companies. “We were granted government clearance and had escorts and everything when we carried classified material,” Jake said. Even though the money was good, the Emhofs said the real downfall was the time put into the business. “If we weren’t on the road, we weren’t making money,” he said.
While traveling, the couple maintained their property and home in Plymouth. Traveling really was the best part of the overall journey, the Emhofs agreed. “Shirley got to see things she would never have gotten to if it weren’t for our job,” Jake stated.
While traveling in Alaska, Jake and Shirley went flying in a small plane that glided onto a glacier lake. “I can see it now just like I did then,” he said, “the whole experience was phenomenal.”
While on the road the Emhofs saw their share of unpleasantness as well. “We saw many accidents,” said Jake, “and we experienced the aftermath of Katrina.”
Although the couple wasn’t in the storm itself, they did however experience the tragedy of New Orleans firsthand as they transported a medical imaging machine to a hospital that had been hit hard by the hurricane. “The hospital was not really open. Its first floor was submerged,” he said. “It was in shambles.”
One aspect regarding Katrina that seems to have stuck with the Emhofs is that while in Louisiana the military had set up a field hospital, and around it stood a barricade of fencing with armed guards. “There were precautions taken, because of the fear that drug addicts who were experiencing withdrawal could become a hazardous situation,” said Jake. “The devastation was just incredible,” he said. “The pictures on TV really did not even make a dent in what it was really like.”
Approximately a year ago the Emhofs parked their transporting vehicles for the last time, as they decided coming home, and staying there, was a better option.
Shirley’s daughter told the couple of screen printing machines that were for sale and introduced them to the idea of starting a T-shirt printing business. They opened their own business called Chenango Custom P’s and T’s, also known as Shirley’s Shirts n’ Things in Plymouth. Now, as the couple get ready to celebrate their first year in the business, they say they have come to really enjoy what they can offer to the community.
The business does direct to garment printing, which they say is uncommon in the area, graphic design for pre-press preparation and much more. “There was a big learning curve which I now have down,” said Jake.
The Emhofs do a lot of work for area school districts and says they look forward to continuing to grow and do business with more of the community. The smaller scale business the Emhofs run currently services four counties and has had numerous customers. “We are finding our niche,” the couple agrees.
For more information or to see about having garments created to advertise your business of product call Jake or Shirley at 334-6907.
Editor’s Note: “Chenango Stories” puts the spotlight on those people whose compelling stories you might not otherwise hear. If you know someone who is interested in telling their “Chenango Story,” contact Jill Kraft at 337-3075 or e-mail: jkraft@evesun.com.