Main Street Tees in Seneca has designs on success

Main Street Tees aims to please, whether it’s individuals purchasing one-of-a-kind apparel or corporations ordering eye-catching designs on items such as tote bags, tumblers, cups, hoodies, sweatshirts, koozies or folding chairs. Alicia Percudani of Seneca founded her company in 2022, growing it to be a state-of-the-art and nimble operation.

“I started in my sunroom of my house, and I basically just grew [the business] from there,” Percudani said of the launch. “Now I have a storefront in downtown Seneca … in the Rivercity Center building.“

Coming out of a career in transportation safety for the trucking industry, she was looking for a fresh avenue and ready to gain a whole new expertise.

Percudani acquired a large, commercial direct-to-film printer, one of the few that size to be found in the area.

“It’s similar to screen print, [but] more durable and softer,” she said of the finished product. “It doesn’t crack or peel. We also sell prints to other T-shirt makers [as] a print dealer. We sell prints by the roll. A lot of my customers make spirit wear. They’ll send me their art, and I’ll print it.”

Percudani is working to expand her DTF business thanks to the size of her printer, which is not restricted in its dimensions like desktop models.

“Having this printer is a huge benefit,” she said, noting that a lot of people were outsourcing prints to companies in Texas or North Carolina with similarly large-format equipment.

The Main Street Tees website shows a wide variety of apparel items ranging from Seneca Irish and Seneca Raiders school spirit wear to flattering hand-dyed and bleached tops for women in dreamily abstract patterns.

While store manager Brooke Coleman creates DTF designs for the company, it’s Percudani who has taught herself to do the textile bleaching.

“I actually do [it] all myself in my driveway,” Percudani said. “I started purchasing sweatshirts and putting bleach on them to determine what would happen – the science behind it … [to] find out what [type of] material and what colors items will need to be."

With an artisan’s eye, she also began tie-dyeing, using trial-and-error to improve the process, noting that she was “finding new things and getting creative.”

Main Street Tees can be found at the French country market run by 3 French Hens from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each second Saturday through October in Morris. Percudani’s booth is set up at the corner of Liberty and Jefferson streets right outside Ebbeys George’s Bar & Grill at 402 Liberty St. There, it’s among 200 outdoor exhibitors offering everything from antiques and artisans’ hand-crafted items to fresh produce and flowers.

For the market, Main Street Tees brings an array of tie-dye and bleached apparel, as well as trending hats with funny sayings on them, she said.

“At the market, we only bring so much – we bring blank shirts with prints [in] a whole bunch of options: sports, holiday, mama [themes]," she said, noting that she arrives with a small generator. “They pick the print, and we have a portable heat press.”

“We try and be different – that’s been a benefit," she said, adding that she relishes input and getting to meet a client face to face after engaging solely online or through social media. “Being here and talking to them and hearing what they like – [I’m] shocked to hear from so [many] return customers. It’s very fun to see the following we have in person.”

Beginning with the fall school year, Percudani plans to offer formal store hours. For now, she’s often there from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays, and invites people to come right in if the lights are on. People also can send Main Street Tees a message on Facebook or call or text 708-663-0829.

Another unusual perk is that the company accepts custom orders without a minimum piece-count requirement.

If someone wants one shirt, Main Street Tees will create it. Turnaround on orders also is quick thanks to the printer right on hand.

What does she love about her business?

“Everything,” Percudani said of the three-year-old enterprise. “I have to give it my all. I started from the bottom, made it this far, [and] have got to keep going. … It’s been great to us. Business is good."

Main Street Tees is at 250 N. Main St. To learn more, visit mainstreetteesseneca.com or facebook.com/MainStreetTees23; email main.street.tees23@gmail.com; or call or text 708-663-0829.