Lasting Impressions
The Heritage of Hopper’s Screen Printing
Film produced by Kyle Marcoe Visuals
A solid foundation
Dave Hopper grew up at Hopper’s Screen Printing. Today he is owner and president. It began with naps in t-shirt boxes and catching printed apparel at the end of a dryer. As a child, Dave’s passion was farming but since his first experience screen printing, he’s been on a journey he loves.
Dave’s parents Mark and Kim Hopper founded Mark Hopper's Custom Silk Screening in April of 1978. After being rejected by a bank, they borrowed $500 from Kim's parents to start their business.
From humble beginnings, the team has grown to ten employees in a 15,000 square foot facility. Hopper’s is the largest and most-respected screen printing and embroidery shop in the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin area.
The next generation
Dave's son Adam joined the team in 2020. After searching to find his passion in physical therapy and athletic training he found his home at Hopper's. Adam saw the passion his father and family had for their work. That drew him in, he wanted to be a part of it.
Adam looks up to his dad. Being able to work alongside him has fostered growth in Adam. Everything he knows about screen printing, customer service and a good work ethic has been taught by Dave.
"Our work gets done. We push hard and we have fun. If you're not having fun, what's the point. Our team is a family, and we think of our customers as friends," says Dave.
Adam sees the passion his teammates have. Everyone knows their job and gets their work done. That hard work, love for their craft and commitment to winning is fundamental to the Hopper's team.
Exceeding expectations
Screen printing, embroidery and decorating technologies change with the times. “We must stay on top, bring our A-game and practice, practice, practice. It's fun to play in this world," says Dave.
"Our goal is to exceed expectations by providing our customers with high-quality apparel and bring their ideas to life," says Adam.
"My purpose is to make everybody look good and feel comfortable in what they're wearing. I love to give support back to the community," says Dave.
"I know my grandparents are very happy with where the business is today. They never imagined it to get to this point. I hope that I can say the same thing when I retire. I don't ever want to see all this hard work die off," says Adam.
"Everybody grows up in different generations, different times. We started at the bottom and worked our way up. I'm very thankful my parents instilled their work ethic in me. That keeps me driven every single day," says Dave.
Film produced by Kyle Marcoe Visuals
Kyle Marcoe is a professional filmmaker and photographer based in Wisconsin, USA. Kyle graduated from UW-Madison and continues to pursue becoming a part of Hollywood filmmaking.
One key thing that everyone doesn’t know about Kyle is that he has bilateral profound hearing loss, meaning that he is fully deaf. Kyle doesn’t let his disability stop him from doing what he loves to do, tell stories through visual art. Kyle believes the most important thing in filmmaking is the storytelling, which makes his films stand out from others.