Business Profile
Title and Firm: Douglas Eckland recently signed papers to assume ownership of Capital Embroidery, a specialty business that has been owned by Carol Dana. Dana will stay on for a month or so while Eckland and his partner, Bruce Tenney, learn the ropes. "The business is really busy and I think he will do well with it," Dana said.
Tenney has lived in Alaska most of his life, but worked outdoors. He sees Capital Embroidery as a chance to get out of the rain while continuing to put his knowledge of machinery to good use.
Services: Capital Embroidery's specialty is corporate logos on clothing and headgear, as well as shopping totes. "We produce embroidery on jackets, T-shirts, hats and promotional items. We have a line of Carhartt jackets and leather goods, including motorcycle leathers."
Customers can bring in a rough sketch of what they want. Eckland will develop a finished design and turn out a product within two weeks of the initial meeting.
"We have two single-head machines, each of which will run 12 different colored threads at once, and a four-head machine that will embroider four identical jackets or hats at a time," Eckland said.
Some of the company's customers include Wings of Alaska, the Alaskan Brewing Company, Construction Machines, Whitestone Logging, Juneau Ready Mix and Ward Air.
Quotable: "We are going to stay in the same location, use the same phone number and try to give good service," said Eckland, who has a background in graphics.
Background: Eckland, 32, has lived in Juneau for five years. He also owns Eckland Neon Signs on Industrial Boulevard. He lived on Prince of Wales Island for two years; before that, he and his family lived in New Mexico.
Family: Eckland's wife, Cherry, teaches at Harborview Elementary School. They have two children, Warren, 7, and Chantel, 4.
Employees: Just Eckland and Tenney.
Contact information: Capital Embroidery has its own Web site, www.embroidery@alaska.com. The shop is at 5750 Glacier Highway near the Lemon Creek bridge. The phone number is 780-5296.