In August of 1992 Upper Room was never really a vision or a dream. This company was initiated by an answer to prayer. Approximately 24 hours after a distinct word from God , a pastor and his wife contacted me about starting a screen printing business. Chris & Larry felt lead to be in the screen printing business to produce some Christian shirts and had purchased some beginners printing equipment. They asked me to be because they needed someone knowledgeable in business and I had been in the restaurant business for 7 years. My answer was YES and I knew what the first shirt should have printed on the front.

We had $500.00 and a mission. The next day we moved in the equipment in an empty apartment above my restaurant, pulled out the training video that came with their printer and went to work. The video lasted 18 minutes and gave us just enough knowledge to be dangerous. Two days later we had our first shirt, it read "G-ZUS However you spell it HE is LORD". Our first customers were the people we went to church with and they bought all 48 shirts.

Business was slow for the first year, Larry moved on to other missions and a full time ministry. Chris and I became partners and close friends, we started our days in prayer and continued on, knowing we were moving in the direction we were supposed to. After a year I left the restaurant and we needed a new location. Reluctantly we rented an old dim lit garage with a leaky roof but we had a great landlord that provided us with enough wood and drywall to build an office. We really felt blessed.

Our customers were local businesses, and we continued to slowly grow. We hired our first employee in 1996 and bought some newer used equipment. Upper Room expanded our products from shirts, hats and jackets to political / yard signs. Soon after we started producing vinyl lettering and selling advertising specialties. Chris decided to move into other callings, I purchased her share and we continued to grow. In 2000 we added embroidery to our list of services. We know have 13 employees and continue to see a bright future. In 2004 we began our laser engraving and trophies division.

We recently purchased the building that housed that old dark leaky garage, our newly remodeled facilities contain 10,000 sq. ft. of production space, new offices and a 700 sq. ft. showroom. Our customer based has grown from local to regional with a few national customers. We offer wholesale as well as retail services. God has truly blessed us.

This company started with one shirt and one vision accompanied by sound principals and doctrine, we intend to meet our vision of the future.

Mark E. Skoric

President 

Upper Room, Inc.