The necessity of apparel, the desire to provide it, and the knowledge of the industry, have come together to form Yacolt Screen Print Co. in a shop atop the hills west of the small town.
For owners Jeremy Berkompas and Mario Vidovic, keeping the identity of Yacolt in their business highlights their commitment to small businesses and local community. Vidovic came from Croatia in 1995 and graduated from Heritage High School in Vancouver in 2005. Since being a Clark County resident, he has found a home in the surrounding area of the small north Clark County community while Berkompas has called the area home his whole life.
“You meet those small town people and small town businesses,” Vidovic said, adding that often a brick and mortar business may not be of best interest to a small order of apparel. “We do love the big customer, but I love the small customers just because it’s more impactful. You meet the heart of their business.”
The two first met while Vidovic mentioned a clothing item in a local gym, and Berkompas, working for an apparel distributor, Shirtspace.com, gained interest right off the bat.
“We kind of hit it off and then I heard that you were starting to do this and I started coming over and hanging out,” Berkompas recalled to Vidovic. “It was a really good match.”
Vidovic got started in January 2024 with screen printing on clothing items. The business has grown to much more than just that, though. Now, Yacolt Screen Print Co., in addition to shirts and hoodies, specializes in custom patch hats, leatherette key chains, tumblers and water bottles, keychains and lanyards, numerous personalized gift items and a whole lot more.
“We cater to small businesses,” Vidovic said. “Like, we’re a small business. We don’t have minimums. You can order one shirt, or you can order 800 shirts, you know what I mean?”
He added that a larger quantity order brings the price down per item.
“We encourage people to buy more, but obviously a lot of my customers are one or two small business employees that don’t need 600 shirts or 600 hoodies,” Vidovic said.
Vidovic added that he likes to stay competitive in pricing, but also strives to beat everybody in pricing while maintaining a quality and attention to detail. Often, Berkompas and Vidovic are provided with big-name clothing items to print a logo on, and with orders like that, they said there is quite literally zero margin for error.
“Because we are a small business and we cater to small businesses and we get it, you know, not everybody can afford a $150 t-shirt or a $70 t-shirt with a print on it,” Vidovic said. “So yeah, just come to us if you need two shirts, three shirts, five shirts, 20 shirts.”
Vidovic and Berkompas are also passionate about giving back to the community in need. They pointed out a box in their shop that is strictly for donating. And since they have many blank apparel items, Vidovic said they are not shy about donating to people who truly need a shirt on their back.
“Being able to do that and having an opportunity to do that is really, really cool,” he added.
To request a quote, visit yacoltprint.com. People can also send in a logo, or Berkompas and Vidovic can also help to design one, as well. Yacolt Screen Print Co. can also be found on social media at YacoltPrint on Instagram and the full business name on Facebook.
