If you played youth soccer while growing up in Northern Kentucky during the 1990s, chances are you probably donned a jersey that was screen printed at Miller Imprints.
Rudy Harris, cofounder of Harris Media in Newport, actually donned a “Goalbusters” jersey that was screen printed at Miller’s when he was a youth soccer player. After wearing their jerseys as a kid, Harris and his holding company purchased their next door neighbor’s commercial property at 832 Monmouth Street – coincidentally the longtime home of Miller Imprints.
“Honestly, if you’re from this area, you’ve probably worn one of their shirts or many,” Harris said. “I, myself – my Dad’s soccer team, I wore their shirts, as well as Harry’s Diner out in Alexandria where I was a server. They were a mainstay for a long time.”
In the wake of the sale, Miller Imprints is closing their doors after 40 years in business. The property was sold for $325,000 by Miller Imprints to GLA Holdings, which is owned by Harris and his wife Tammi. The acquisition was completed on March 10.
“It was sort of the perfect match,” Harris said. “We approached the Miller’s last year in regards to purchasing the building. Through negotiations and everything, we finally were able to close last Friday.”
Miller Imprints was founded by Bob and Jack Miller in 1983. Over time, the pair transitioned their business to primarily focus on screen printing. They moved to their current location in Newport during 1986, and have been operating there ever since.
“When we first started out, we were pretty much one of the only ones that did everything: we did screen printing, embroidery, and promotional products,” said Miller. “That market is fair game for everybody now.”
Jack Miller told LINK nky they came to the conclusion to close the store due to saturation in the local screen printing market, lack of family members to continue the business, and his own personal desire to retire.
“We really didn’t have any family members to carry on the work,” Miller said. “The work is also really demanding.”
Harris Media is a multimedia broadcasting and media production company that was founded in Covington in 2011. The business moved to Newport in 2020. According to Harris, they quickly outgrew their space.
For Harris, the purchase made sense because of, “location, location, location.” The proximity to their current offices lets them expand their footprint further. The plan is for the building to be converted, adding office space, editing suites, conference rooms and a second studio. A bigger parking lot for employees and clients will also be available.
