Around the corner from Beulah Park, just off Southwest Boulevard, sits a red brick building that is unassuming on the outside, but inside, good people are making a big difference for our community.
That building houses a screen-printing press, about a dozen employees, and a business called The Awesome Company.
The Awesome Company creates T-shirts, bags, sweatshirts and other merchandising items to sell to businesses, organizations and groups locally and throughout central Ohio, all with the help of autistic and neurodiverse people. Jacquie Mahan founded the company in 2016 and has enjoyed its growth in the years since, and says she can’t wait for the next steps toward expansion.
From Concept to Finished Product
Mahan is a fourth-generation Grove City resident. After owning an art gallery and then a Pilates studio for several years, Mahan wanted to start a more creative adventure and find a way to give back.
As she watched her son grow up, she experienced the many programs available for kids with autism and, later, the lack of jobs for autistic adults. Several programs offer activities and job coaching, but not always long-term work opportunities.
“A job is more than a job,” Mahan says. “It’s friendship. It’s self-respect, it’s self-esteem building. It’s meeting your community (and) being proud of who you are … and also having a group of people around you going like, ‘We got you. I got your back and this is a safe space for you to come in.’ I just have never seen it and I wanted to provide that.”
Over the years the company has grown and now employs 10 neurodiverse team members and interns as well as six full-time workers, including Mahan and co-owner Hannah Graham. Graham, a fellow Grove City resident, became part owner about three years ago. Mahan says she couldn’t run the business without her.
Jacquie Mahan, Matt Blair and Bryan Curtiss were featured on the Kelly Clarkson show in November. Check out a clip from the show here!
More than a Shirt
So why T-shirts? Mahan says not only are they a perfect way to reach out and connect with people and organizations, but making and distributing them also provides jobs for a wide variety of abilities.
A team member with great communication skills may deliver orders, or another with excellent hand-eye coordination can thrive folding the finished products and handwriting thank you notes. Mahan says The Awesome Company offers countless job opportunities that allows each individual to find something that works for them.
“We have this gal named Elise who comes in on Thursdays and she makes buttons for two hours every week and it’s a huge part of our marketing,” Mahan says. “She comes in every week and it’s a part of her life and it’s changing. It opened up her life. She has a place to go to. She has a job she can be proud of.”
Although it’s not all about the money, paying employees a fair wage is a big part of what sets The Awesome Company apart. Mahan is adamant that every job at the company has a purpose and impacts the company’s success.
“Having a for-profit business that just actively recruits autistic adults changes the way that the autistic adult views themselves,” Mahan says. “It’s not a daycare. It’s not a nonprofit, … but they can trust me and Hannah. We have their back.”
Printing and Beyond
With the success the company has seen over the past seven years, Mahan and Graham are excited to expand their business, create more products and hire more people.
As construction on the new space finished this winter, The Awesome Company roughly doubled its footprint. Not only did this bring more products to customers, it also offered additional resources for employees.
With more space, Mahan and Graham can create quiet rooms that are attached to the main production area, offering a secluded environment for those who may need it.
In addition to the new workspace, a gallery is planned to feature works by autistic artists.
“This space is going to be dedicated to autistic artists and to the Grove City community to use,” Mahan says. “I want to have kids’ art shows. I want to have events. I want it to be neurodiverse inclusion.”
Although the gallery space will not open for another few months – closer to the summertime – Mahan and her team look forward to continuing to serve both the autistic and Grove City communities one T-shirt at a time.
“I think a lot of people get intimidated by autism, the autism diagnosis. They want to help, they want to support, but maybe they don’t know how to do it,” Mahan says. “T-shirts are great. We all wear them. It’s a great thing to sell back and forth, but it’s that connection with the community. Schools, businesses, spirit wear, runs and walks, all kinds of events. It’s just a matter of reaching out and grabbing customers and saying, ‘Why don’t you pick us?’”
Rachel Karas is an editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at rkaras@cityscenemediagroup.com.
