Struthers shop owner recounts long running screen‑printing business, customer ties

Betsy Kirkwood, owner and artist of Artists That Work, Brooklyn, told the Struthers City Council during public comment that she opened her shop in 1981 and has sustained a long-running local business focused on screen printing and novelty items. "1981 is when I opened, so I'm in my 40 fourth year here," Kirkwood said, describing the shop's history and services.

Kirkwood said the business expanded beyond traditional textile screen printing to offer signs, banners, painted goods and novelty items such as koozies and painted basketballs. "Screen printing businesses do screen printing, as in textiles, but they don't do banner signs. I paint basketballs. I do novelty items, koozies and stuff like that," she said, adding that she tries to be a "one stop shop."

Kirkwood told the council many longtime residents only recently learned what the shop offers when they stepped inside, and that the store stocks a large inventory of local designs. "We must have easily 5,000 Struthers designs," she said. She also described having had two other locations in the past and said loyal customers return to her Struthers shop.

During her remarks Kirkwood emphasized the personal, community aspect of the business, saying families bring successive generations into the store: "we see them would come in with their children and their children grow. Now their children bring their children in." She credited customer relationships and service for keeping the business in Struthers.

Kirkwood's comments were delivered during the meeting's public comment period and were testimonial about her business experience rather than a request for a specific council action.