Custom Banners - Custom Stickers Tulsa OK

"Building a business up was not something I thought about as a kid, but realized it would be important to do in order to follow my passion for racing."

After no success finding a job that would work around Rogers race schedule, he found himself on eBay buying vinyl cutting equipment for under a thousand dollars. The year was 2006.

With no schooling or background in design, other than drawing hundreds of race cars as a kid, the road ahead was going to be challenging! Long sleepless nights were spent studying programs and practicing designing in hopes of finding people willing to give Roger a shot at their work. Oddly enough, his very first job would be for the driver of his father's limited sprint car, who would later become his wife.

With time, vinyl cutting jobs for different race cars came through the door, which led to customers bringing in occasional sign jobs. Soon the demands were greater than expected and the need for faster production arose. At this time, Roger began saving and setting his goals toward purchasing a wide format printer that would allow faster production and a broader range of design. After months of savings and research, the purchase of a refurbished printer was made in 2007. The work slowly increased with the new printer and yet another purchase was needed. Roger could design and print but had no way of properly laminating which became an issue. In came the next big purchase, a cheap but reliable laminator.

The months went by, word of mouth spread, and the growth continued. The business that started on $1000.00 in the bedroom of Rogers rental outgrew its space. The refurbished printer was tired and the next leap of faith was on the horizon.

Fast forward to 2011, the business had been moved into Rogers new home! With business booming, he was able to buy his very own home with a 1500 Sqft shop that had plenty of room for yet another new printer, laminator and cutter! Not to mention there was a place for the beloved sprint car.

With this move came his girlfriend, Brandi. She worked at a local business and helped with vinyl after hours but would officially join the team in 2013! With Brandi's extra help and good work ethic the business grew and the duo started looking at different options of expansion. This would be the beginning of Rocket Designs embroidery.

The couple made a trip to Placerville, Ca. and would return with their first single-head embroidery machine which neither of them had a clue how to operate. So together they learned to spend late nights studying the machines and software via youtube and online classes. The machine they had purchased, although nice, just wasn't what they needed and it lead to a lot of struggle. Within the next couple months the machine would go for sale and the couple headed to Long Beach Ca. to meet their new machine, A brand new 2013 Barudan single head. This machine was better suited for the work they were pursuing which was embroidering hats! The purchase paid off! The Barudan prooved to be everything they expected and soon was running 14-15 hours a day to keep up with demand. Time to grow, again!

Here comes 2014! Roger and Brandi officially tie the knot and have saved up enough money to buy the next machine, a 2005 barudan six head. This machine would bring on new challenges but with more understanding of the craft, the couple welcomed those challenges. Throughout the next couple of years, they would work side by side and continue to grow. Because of all the great customers, Rocket Designs had the word of mouth spread and the need for expansion soon came knocking. 2016 brought on a shop remodel and expansion but still the business had outgrown its space! What next?

Racing had slowly died down in the North West and the business was shipping a lot of orders across the country, leading to longer turn around and high shipping costs. A change in location was needed! The team boarded a plane and headed to Broken Arrow, OK. A beautiful town centrally located and surrounded by racing. This seemed to be the perfect place to bring the business but would be the biggest leap of faith yet!

2017, the Oregon home goes for sale and the ground is broke in Oklahoma. A new home and 6000 sq ft shop is underway. Roger and Brandi pack up everything they have and set out for this new, scary adventure.

Currently, in 2018, the business is booming. Oklahoma was just what it needed with growth happening once again. A new 2016 8 head barudan and a 2016 6 head barudan were added in along with a new Latex printer. The people have been so welcoming to the business, couple and race team making the transition into this new world much more peaceful.

Words cannot describe the gratitude the couple has for their customers. Without them, this all wouldn't be. Advertising is a great way to get your name out but ultimately word of mouth and a trusted recommendation is key to success! Some of the biggest businesses in the world started in the garage of a person with just an idea, a dream, and people who believed in them. For these two, They're still dreaming and who knows what the future holds.

"A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work" - Colin Powell

Roger Crockett's brief story on the beginning of Rocket Designs LLC