Denizens of Lancaster and surrounding towns have never needed to be told what a special place it is to call home. With all of the variations of countryside, suburbs and downtown, it makes sense that a multitude of inspired, crafty businesses have cropped up and seized on Lancaster’s uniqueness and burgeoning opportunities.
One such company, Foxduck (foxduckprint.com), decided there should be a company highlighting Lancaster itself. With sought-after designs featuring historical emblems, businesses and charitable ventures, Foxduck’s screen printed products provide Lancastrians with visible pride.
At the helm of Foxduck are Josh and Rebecca Wood and Ryan Keates; it is a “family business,” as Josh and Rebecca are siblings, and Rebecca and Ryan are married. Together, the three rolled up their sleeves to not only start the company, but also to run it and to create all of the screen printed products by hand, in fact, Rebecca’s hand. She prints every single shirt sold by Foxduck. When the venture was still new, Josh tried screen printing originally, but he conceded, “Rebecca does it flawlessly.”
Starting out, they had $800 worth of equipment that they bought with a loan from a family member. Josh says he was approached by Rebecca and Ryan, who are the “two most crafty people I know.” Equipped with the screen printing materials, some ideas, and “entrepreneurial minds,” an idea was forged.
One other unofficial member of Foxduck is Vespertine, Josh’s five-year-old daughter. Under her credit is the official Foxduck name. “We were trying to decide on a name, and Vesper suggested animals,” says Josh. “After many hilarious combinations and suggestions, Vesper said ‘foxduck’ and it just worked.” Everyone agreed and Ryan began designing the logo. “We are so happy with our name and all still laugh thinking about that moment.”
Armed with a bachelor’s degree in graphic arts, Ryan has been a freelance designer for over 10 years. While working for Annie Bailey’s restaurant, he conceived the design for their Oysterfest for four years, and two years ago, his design happened be one of the breakout t-shirt creations. The second shirt to put them on the map was for the Extraordinary Give, the 24-hour giving marathon throughout Lancaster County that has raised millions of dollars for hundreds of local organizations. (They also made shirts for the 2016 event.)
Future shirts were printed using the profits from those first designs. There was enough to pay back the $800 loan and keep printing. With the original intention of promoting Lancaster businesses, the trio’s idea continued to grow. At one point, they decided that reaching out to SCORE (lancaster.score.org), a Lancaster/Lebanon resource that provides free mentors to new start-ups, was a good idea. “Choosing to work with SCORE was one of our first decisions,” says Josh. “We wanted to make sure that we started in the right direction.”
Making cool shirts with local business designs is what Foxduck seeks to do, but how they do it is a whole other side of the company. Since, according to Josh, “We do everything but make the shirt,” the shirts still need to come from somewhere, and Foxduck’s commitment is to only work with ethical manufacturers who are environmentally conscious. To be considered, there can be no sweatshops, employees must be treated fairly and the company must also possess a broader goal of bettering the industry. A few that they work with are Imagine Goods, Alternative Apparel and Bella + Canvas. Joshs experience in the social work field has transferred over to the company mission.
Additionally, their purpose of giving back to the community involves partnerships like one with Cortazzo Foods, known around the area for their famous marinara and other sauces. Cortazzo Foods approached Foxduck while they were still selling shirts in the Prince Street Pop-up Park, interested in a joint mission. “They provided the design,” says Josh, “and we began printing on shirts.” To date over 1,800 meals have been provided by Cortazzo to those in need via proceeds garnered through shirt sales.
Foxduck—with its fun name, ethical approach and eye-catching designs—recently hit a major milestone by opening a brick and mortar store at 11 West King Street on November 1, an unexpected turn for the company. They were going to wait another year, but Josh says, “When we were approached with the opportunity, we promptly met with our SCORE mentor Eric Parker and discussed the pros and cons.”
Available now are unisex t-shirts, sweaters, tank tops, onesies and youth shirts sporting notable icons like the keystone and red rose. Others feature Lancaster businesses like Pine View Dairy, The Herb Shop and Sickman’s Mill. A few other items are two trucker hats (one with “Lanc” inside of the outline of Pennsylvania, the other with the Foxduck logo), patches with matching designs, and stickers sporting some of their popular Lancaster shirt designs. Sizes range from newborn to toddler, youth to XXL, so the whole family can boast their Lancaster love.
Foxduck 11 W. King St., Lancaster foxduckprint.com
