The Big Fish

Owner Cary Hinze began his creative endeavors with screen-printed designs as a way to help put him through college in the mid 1980's. Making screen-printed designs for school festivals, game days and various events. He sold from street corners and makeshift stands, anywhere he could find a good location to sell. He would also set-up small sales forces of himself, friends and family and sell door-to-door in school apartments and dorms.

Hinze took a corporate design job for his first six years after college all the while building clients on the side through freelancing his designs during off hours. Many late hours and long days invested he saw his client list grow through the years. All the while more and more of his designs seemed to cater to the apparel industry.

After setting off on his own in 1994 he has never looked back and been involved in several ventures in the industry. Selling his designs to large retailers in the lifestyle and sports apparel industries. Hinze's designs have sold in small shops and in large retailers and for companies such as REI, Gadzooks, Hot Topics, Spencers, Umbro, Oshman's (now Sports Authority), Performance Bicycle, Bike Nashbar and Colorado Cyclist to name a few. His mountain biking line of jerseys that started in 1996 under the Brand Names “Precaryous” and “Biker Chick” still have a foothold in the marketplace.

Working from his home and using his garage and small warehouses for over ten years Hinze did it all: sales, marketing and design up through pre-production. Buying the goods and contracting out the actual printing and then using garage and warehouses to prepare his orders for shipping and delivery. In late 2005 a project venture led him into an additional method of printing with dye-sublimated goods.

In 2006 by selling designs using both dye sublimation and screen printing to apparel like t-shirts and sport jerseys and other products like mouse pads, koozies & coffee mugs Hinze was able to serve old and new customers a wider variety of goods. This additional business allowed a move from home, garage and old warehouses to a new location with a new name.