Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Stick Company proudly partnered with Arch Resources Leer South Mine to complete a project that helped transform their newly constructed electrical training center.

The focal point of this project was the installation of a full interior wall wrap that was installed on 18’ walls that were composed of concrete blocks. Installations on concrete blocks require a slightly different approach to ensure the seamless application. The wrap included a custom design tailored for the electrical training center while also mirroring the brand aesthetics crafted by The Stick Company.

Early in the project, The Stick Company also installed a custom floor logo decal for the room. To ensure durability and longevity, the decal was expertly sealed by the contractors, providing an extra layer of protection and durability.

The Stick Company is honored to have played a role in transforming the new electrical training center at Leer South and continuing our partnership of transforming ordinary spaces into visual experiences.

At The Stick Company, we pride ourselves on transforming walls and rooms into dynamic spaces with our wall wraps. Our recent collaboration with Consol Energy on the William P. Powell Training Facility served as another example to this commitment. Originally an integrated mine portal, the facility was transformed into a dynamic company-wide training center.

When Consol Energy approached us, they had a clear vision to create a space that embodies the essence of working underground. From there, our team went to work.

The first step in our process was capturing the true essence of the underground environment with a trip underground into their Enlow Fork Coal Mine for custom photography. Amberlee Christey worked her magic and the pictures would set the tone for the entire project.

With the photographs as our guide, our designers helped recreate the underground environment while ensuring all details were as accurate as possible while also fitting the actual layout of the hallway.

Once the design was finalized, our printing & production team took over, helping to print, laminate and prepare the panels for installation.

** Fun fact – the completed project featured over 100 printed and installed panels!

The final step in the process was installation – which had its own set of challenges in installing the panels on concrete block walls, as well as having to wrap around a number of pre-installed pipes and conduits. A big shoutout to the guys at Wrap Logic, who joined in on the fun, helping with the project installation.

Our entire team played a role in helping to transform the William P. Powell Training Facility. The final result helped transform the former mine portal into the clients original vision – a realistic underground entrance into one of Consol’s operations.

Our team recently partnered with Swanson Industries for the 2024 MINExpo in Las Vegas, where we had the exciting opportunity to help design and wrap their impressive exhibition booth. MINExpo is the largest event in the mining industry, and it was crucial for Swanson to make a lasting impression. That’s where our team came in, ready to transform their vision into a reality.

Stick’s Graphic Designer Haley Chambers took lead design on the project and created an eye-catching display that included a fully wrapped Mine Shield, as well as a wrapped shield pan, booth archway and TV display. The goal was to create a distinct and uniform presentation that became a conversation-starter that helped engage attendees of the event.

“The Stick Co is amazing! The whole team, especially Ashley and Haley, were involved and invested during the entire project. They seemed genuinely interested and excited about our design. They provided great ideas and calmed our nerves dealing with an on-site install across the country. I would highly recommend them for local and nationwide projects.”

Katelyn Combs, Marketing Manager & Executive Assistant
-Swanson Industries

In collaboration with our talented friends at Intershine Graphics, we tackled the on-site installation in Vegas, ensuring everything was perfectly set up for the big event. This project was truly a combined effort, demonstrating the power of teamwork in delivering top-notch results for our clients, even on a national stage.

*****

Working with Swanson Industries was an incredible experience, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support their vision at MINExpo 2024. Our team remains committed to delivering high-quality, innovative solutions that help our clients stand out in any setting—whether it’s in their local community or across the country.
To learn more about Swanson Industries, be sure to visit their website at swansonindustries.com

We are delighted to share the exciting news that The Stick Company has been honored with the 2024 Casa for Kids Community Partner of the Year award. This recognition is a testament to our dedication to supporting Casa for Kids and their vital mission.

CASA for Kids is an incredible organization that we have been honored to work with. Their commitment to the well-being of children who are victims of abuse and neglect is truly inspiring to us. Their volunteers and staff dedicate their time and compassion to ensure that the needs of these children are met in an overburdened foster care system.

At The Stick Company we firmly believe in using our skills and passion to make a positive impact in the lives of others and partnering with Casa for Kids has allowed us to do just that. Our team is deeply committed to supporting Casa for Kids in any way we can, and receiving this award is a testament to our collective efforts.

As Casa for Kids volunteers and staff work tirelessly to advocate for the best interests of children in our community, we are honored to stand beside them. Together, we will continue to make a difference in the lives of children who need it most.

Thank you to Casa for Kids for this incredible recognition, and thank you to our dedicated team for their commitment to serving our community. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Casa for Kids and making a positive impact in the lives of those who need it most.

To learn more about CASA for Kids and how you can help visit https://volunteerwithcasa.com/.

From all of us at The Stick Company, we would like to congratulate WVU Medicine Children’s on the opening of their new facility, here in Morgantown, WV. While truly a gorgeous, state-of-the-art facility, we cannot overstate the appreciation that the entire community has for the healthcare providers, development team and staff for serving the women and children of our community.

The Stick Company was honored to have helped with a few of the projects at the new facility, including the donor locker room and custom floor scrubbers, but also the entrance ‘red carpet’ wrap that was installed on the concrete walkway used to lead friends and family into the facility on the opening weekend.

To learn more about WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital, or how you can get involved, please visit https://childrens.wvumedicine.org/giving/growchildrens/

Our team was excited to continue our work with Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo, located in Kingwood, WV. As one of the most recognizable recreation destinations (try saying that 3 times fast) in the area, we know that our designs will be seen by many, including our own families who frequently visit the zoo. This summer, our team helped to complete a full truck wrap for one of their facility vehicles, as well as, redesigned and installed their road entrance sign. Both projects provided the opportunity for a bright and colorful design, featuring the various animals that can be found at their zoo.

Maria Ashenfelder took lead on the design of the truck wrap, and had this to share about the project:

“The Hovatter Projects are always fun to work on, especially with all of the animals. But not only that, but they are great clients to work with on the process. You can immediately see how much they care about the animals, customers and their business.”

Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo is currently celebrating their 30th year in business. We encourage you to make a trip and experience their facility and family of animals, and be sure to keep an eye out for the various design projects our team has helped with, including their gate wrap and entrance poster. To learn more about the zoo, please visit www.WestVirginiaZoo.com

Often when people think of West Virginia, two things come to mind — Blue Collar Coal Mines and Mountaineer Football. And our team was asked to create a video where those two entities came together.

In August 2022, the WVU Mountaineer football team traveled to Grafton, WV, for a mine tour of Arch Resources Leer Mine Complex. For the team at Leer, the visit is a sense of pride, having the ability to show the players around the mine and educate them on everything that goes into producing coal. For the Mountaineers, it’s a chance to personally see the hard work and dedication instilled throughout this region. It also gives them a chance to meet with and talk to some of their biggest fans, and just share the stories on how they ended up at WVU.

The Stick Company partnered with PShep Media to help document the day, and create the video for the mine to use throughout the year. A special shoutout to both the miners and Mountaineers for taking the time to share their thoughts with us.

The Stick Company was excited to work with the regional community organization Your Community Foundation (YCF) for the completion of their 2021 Annual Report. At YCF, they seek to develop, promote and coordinate charitable giving for the good of the community here in North Central West Virginia. Their goal is always to enhance the quality of life for those we serve and are able to extend many forms of assistance to qualified people, programs and projects with their financial resources and donations.

2021 marked the 10 year anniversary of YCF, and the leadership team wanted to emphasize that milestone throughout the publication. Haley Chambers, The Stick Company’s designer extraordinaire and reigning baking champion, took lead on the project, working directly with the YCF team to design the custom 20-page printed piece. You can view the full report on the YCF website here.

At The Stick Company, we are passionate about the work we do, and the community from which we operate. We love working on projects like this, that help to highlight all of the amazing things taking place within our region. To learn more about Your Community Foundation, their impact and how to get involved, be sure to visit https://ycfwv.org/.

The Stick Company was honored to partner with the team at Hope Gas for the rebranding of the fleet and facility signage. Formerly Dominion Energy, the Hope Gas project became a fairly large project with a pressing deadline as the company wanted to ensure the new branding was in place as quickly as possible. Stick’s Gretchen Boyce spearheaded the project internally, helping to coordinate the various location installs, signage deliveries and schedules. Gretchen also worked closely with the team at Hope Gas to ensure communication and deadlines were met. We must also give a shoutout to our entire wrap team, who all played a significant role in meeting the deadline, from print production to on-site installation, the team helped the project go as smoothly as possible.

The following is a client testimonial provided by Hope Gas:

“As of September 1st Hope Gas was starting as a separate new gas company in West Virginia. Hope Gas new owners want to bring more business and opportunities to West Virginia businesses. Hope Gas reached out to The Stick Company (A WV Business) to help with rebranding the whole company across the state of West Virginia. Before September 1st Stick was given all information to get stated to prepare for the rebranding effort. Stick was told the rebranding campaign was to be completed in 90 days from September 1st. Thinking it would take a few weeks to get organized and everything taken care of to start the project, I was mistaken. Stick was ready to start the project on day 1. They came to our facilities across the state and began rebranding all our fleet immediately. They continued across the state and rebranded the entire fleet of 300 vehicles and trailers in 3 weeks. They were great to work with and handled changes on the fly. They also supplied all new station signs to Hope Gas for all the field locations across the state. The station signs totaled over 1800. Stick ordered and distribute the signs within the first 45 days of the campaign. During our first 60 days Stick has also helped with many stickers and temporary signs that Hope Gas needed on the fly. Stick has been very easy to work with and their design team has supplied many great options for the rebranding. I would recommend the Stick Company for any design and rebranding needed. They have been great to work with and communication has been great.”

–David W. Downey
Manager Facilities and Physical Security
Hope Gas

The team at The Stick Company is proud to announce we are celebrating our 15-year anniversary as a creative branding agency.

What started as one guy working in a tiny incubator office on High Street in downtown Morgantown has evolved into a distinct team of the most talented and dedicated creatives in the region. Of course, this is all self-proclaimed, but we feel like it’s true.

Looking back over the past decade and a half, we cannot believe how quickly time has gone and how many great people we have had the opportunity to work and partner with. We’ve evolved our company to meet the demands of our clients, while also working to make as much of an impact in our local community we can. For us, combining our talents to help others gives us purpose.

Like everyone else, these last two years have been extremely challenging for us, as the COVID-19 Pandemic has changed the way that society lives and works. Our team and operation underwent a number of changes in response.

Perhaps the timeless classic Who Moved My Cheese said it best: “Change happens. Keep moving with the cheese.” And that’s exactly what we did. There have been numerous opportunities, successes and challenges that our team has encountered, but we continue to adapt and work our asses off to be the best partner and resource we can be, for both our clients and our community.

Looking ahead into 2022, we have continued to embrace change, enhancing our company and services with the addition of some fantastic new team members that each bring a wealth of knowledge and experience. They each possess our characteristic ‘no one works harder’ mentality and work-ethic. Be sure to check them out here.

We’ve also implemented some operational enhancements, such as switching our Project Management System, the addition of our CRM system and new partnership with our website hosting platform. It’s safe to say we keep moving with the cheese. ** Note, we actually REALLY like cheese. And not just any cheese … Black Bear’s burrito cheese. If you’ve ever tried it, you know what we’re talking about. #liquidgold

We’re extremely honored to have the opportunity to celebrate our 15 year work anniversary, and want to thank all of our friends, family, vendors and clients for your continued friendship and support through the years. And while we take a minute to recognize the past 15 years, please believe that our team is even more excited for the next 15 years, and the projects and opportunities that await.

Because one thing is for sure: We will continue to work our asses off to be the best creative agency and partner for our clients and community, and look forward to seeing what we can create together. Cheers!

The Stick Company is excited to announce a new community initiative, Designing To Make A Difference, where we are giving away a free website and marketing campaign to a local non-profit organization.

The Stick Company was honored to work with the corporate marketing team at The Green Turtle to create a custom designed wall wrap for their Columbia location, just outside of Baltimore, Maryland. The location featured a large, featured wall that seemed the perfect place to install a uniquely themed wall wrap. The only challenge was that it was a brick wall!

However, thanks to 3M’s LX480 print material, created specifically for such installations, our team was able to complete the project and ensure a seamless installation, despite the challenging contour. The final custom wall wrap was just over 60’ long by nearly 9’ tall.

For those who have never experienced a Greene Turtle location, it’s a unique sports bar and grille that is appropriate for all ages. They serve great food and drinks — which our team experienced first hand — in a casual environment, surrounded by your favorite sporting events. For those in the Morgantown area, be sure to check out the Morgantown location, or stop by any of their regional locations across the East Coast.

The Stick Company is your industry leader in custom wall wraps and custom interior graphics for all applications, including restaurants, retail shops, schools, gymnasiums and more. Contact our team to learn how our wall wraps can transform your room or location today.

The Stick Company was honored to partner with Jefferds Corporation – Bobcat of Clarksburg on their mission to help support a brave young girl currently fighting cancer. Her name is Ellie Washington aka “The Fighting Bean!”. She is the daughter of one of their Bobcat team members.

To help support Ellie and the Washington family, this machine was put into their rental fleet, where a percentage of the rental fee will go directly to the Washington family.

Our team worked closely with the team at Jefferds to help design their vision for the Bobcat skid steer wrap. Our goal was to create a memorable design that would stand out on a jobsite. We also wanted to create something that was tailored specifically for Ellie. The end result was a magical unicorn theme – complete with an array of bright colors.

As we were designing the custom equipment wrap, we felt there was also a need to share more on Ellie‘s story and emphasize the battle she continues to fight. However, we were concerned that too much information on the wrap might be overwhelming. So, together with Jefferds, we created a small tailored website, bobcat4bean.com, that helps tell her journey through cancer while also sharing information on Bobcat’s rental program.

Soon after the program was announced, Bobcat received a rental agreement for a full year on the machine from Robey Excavating! Because of this great news and response, Bobcat has decided to put a second machine in circulation to help with the campaign.

From all of us at The Stick Company, we send our thoughts, prayers and support to Ellie and the Washington family, and commend Jefferds Corporation – Bobcat of Clarksburg on creating this campaign to support this courageous little girl.

You can learn more about Ellie and the program at Bobcat4Bean.com – as well as make a donation to the family’s GoFundMe page.

As both active supporters of Children’s Hospital, and avid Pittsburgh Steeler fans, our team was very excited to partner with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation and former Pittsburgh Steeler Brett Keisel to create a custom wall wrap at their medical center in Pittsburgh, PA.

For those who are not familiar, Brett Kiesel was a pro bowl defensive lineman who became synonymous for his aggressive playing style, love for Pittsburgh and signature beard. What many do not know is that Brett has a passion for philanthropy, including his ‘Shear The Beard’ campaign where Brett would shave his beard to raise money for Children’s Hospital. After 10 years of organizing and hosting the campaign, UPMC Children’s wanted to show their appreciation with a custom wall wrap featured in the middle of UPMC Children’s Hospital.

After having the opportunity to view our work with the Ronald McDonald House Charities Care Mobile, UPMC Children’s contacted our team at Stick to partner on the project. Senior Designer Maria Ashenfelder created the custom wall wrap design by designing a clean, eye-catching collage featuring photos of Brett with local children. Our goal was to create a fun and engaging environmental graphic for all to enjoy.

After the design approval, our team coordinated an after-hours installation in Pittsburgh to ensure we were not being intrusive to the hospital staff or patients. The UPMC Children’s team then hosted a surprise unveiling for Brett, presenting the former Pittsburgh Steeler with his tailored wall wrap design.

Our team at The Stick Company specializes in creating custom healthcare wall wraps, environmental graphics, and various distraction therapy wall wraps, and feel they are a great way to bring a unique design and visual to any hospital or Medical Center.

To learn more about UPMC Children’s Foundation, be sure to visit their website at https://www.givetochildrens.org/.

The Stick Company is excited to continue our partnership with Operation Welcome Home in helping to organize and co-chair the upcoming 2021 West Virginia Veterans Golf Classic.

The event, being held on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, at The Pines Country Club in Morgantown, West Virginia, is one of two major fundraisers that the organization hosts in order to help support local veterans throughout North Central West Virginia.

Damian Ferek, The Stick Company‘s President, will be one of the event’s co-chairs, along with Ashley Anderson, of AMA photography in Morgantown, West Virginia. For those unfamiliar, Damian and Ashley formerly organized the Ride for Children’s Hospital benefit motorcycle charity event.

In addition to helping organize and coordinate the golf event, The Stick Company has donated our services for the rebranding of the event, which includes an event website and marketing materials. With COVID still being a challenge for meetings, we wanted to create a more robust informational packet that outlines the event and sponsorship opportunities. The Stick Company has experience with event marketing and was honored to donate our creative services for this event.

To learn more about the veterans’ golf classic – including sponsorship and advertising opportunities, please visit the website at veteransgolfclassicwv.com.

To learn more about Operation Welcome Home, you can visit their website at welcomehomewv.com.

From all of us at The Stick Company, we appreciate and value all of the men and women who have served, and currently serve, in our Armed Forces. We thank Operation Welcome Home for the opportunity to help show our appreciation through this event.

Our team at The Stick Company was excited to partner with the iconic Brenda’s Italian Pizzeria, located at Deep Creek Lake for their branding and website needs. While it is a tossup as to which we enjoy more… creating design or eating pizza, but we can say with certainty that the two of them together make the perfect combination. And thanks to the team at Brenda’s, we never left a meeting hungry!

While our initial project goals were focused on the website, we quickly learned of some branding and design needs that would then play a direct role with our marketing campaign. In addition to the new branding elements and design concepts, we utilized some additional, high-end visuals with the help of some commercial photography and lifestyle videography.

The end result is a custom designed website that reflects the true experience of Brenda’s Pizzeria while also making it more engaging, modern and user-friendly for their customers.

Be sure to check out Brenda’s Pizzeria’s website at www.brendaspizzeria.com, or, if you happen to be in the Deep Creek Lake area, be sure to stop and have a slice! We also recommend that you check out their other locally owned restaurants, Ace’s Run, Firewater Kitchen and Trader’s Coffee House.

If you own a business, you probably know that your brand is everything in determining your success. Sure, you might be able to get by without a ton of social media, but did you know your brand also encompasses customer experience? Keep reading below for some key branding tips.

Your brand is everything that customers interact with. From day 1, business owners are considering how they’d like their businesses to be known and remembered, and that all comes back to brand strategy.

If you have no idea where to start or need help with a redesign, we’re here to help. Read on for 8 of the best branding tips that can help your business soar.

1. Come Up With a Plan

We know you’ve heard it before. It sounds like a cliche, but it’s true! The more precise a plan you come up with, the stronger your brand strategy will actually be.

Some questions you should ask yourself when designing your brand strategy are:

• What do you stand for?
• What do you want people to say about you?
• Who is your ideal customer?
• Who or what is your competition?
• What’s your story?
• What sets you apart from the others?
• If you’re not a new brand, what do you dislike about your current strategy?
• How will you test brand perception?

In answering these questions, you identify your potential in the marketplace, and you start building the foundations for your brand strategy.

Don’t Rush Things

Remember, there is no need to rush this step. If you have a deadline, give yourself plenty of time to answer these questions on your own — you need to get introspective here.

From here, you can meet with others if you need help with your plan. Friends and colleagues can provide invaluable opinions, but you should consider hiring professionals if you truly need help with your brand strategy.

Professionals can help you flesh out your brand in ways that others can’t. It is literally their job to help others with their brand strategies, whether you’re just starting or need a complete overhaul.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help with this step. It can make all the difference in the long run.

2. Keep Things Consistent

Whether you choose to get a vehicle wrap or are just designing your website, consistency is key.

This goes for the colors of your website and vehicle wraps, audience experience, the style you use to write, and even your chosen fonts.

Before you choose colors, think about the attitude you’re trying to create towards your brand. Color psychology could be an invaluable tool for your brand.

3. Don’t Confine Yourself

Essentially, identify what separates you from the rest of the world. In doing this, you identify why you’re invaluable to any market you enter.

By allowing your brand to hit people’s pain points, you open them up to receiving your message with an open mind. That’s your chance to sell with everything you’ve got, and it doesn’t confine you to the restraints of the market.

On the other side, you shouldn’t confine your brand to one style for the entirety of its existence. Don’t be afraid of rebranding or experimenting with your brand’s look from time-to-time.

Everything needs a refresher at some point, whether it’s tiny or drastic.

4. Look for Partnership Opportunities

Partnering with other businesses is a great way to get your brand out there.

Since people like to do business with brands they trust, you should work with brands your target audience already does business with.

Conducting market research is a great way to not only identify your target audience but also find out which businesses might be good for you to partner with.

In partnering with businesses, your audience already trusts, that trust can then be extended to you. The thing to remember here, however, is that the businesses you partner with should be non-competitors.

5. Let Your Audience Know You Care

To proceed with this step, you have to think about something. How would you like to be treated as a customer? Do you want your customers to have that same experience?

Maybe you don’t have customers, but you do have an audience. How do you want your audience to feel every time they log onto your website? How do you want them to remember you and your brand?

Once you answer those questions, it becomes simpler to empathize with your audience, or at least provide them with an experience they’re likely to remember.

The important thing about creating any brand is not the numbers. Yes, they are important, but so is creating something that you enjoy.

The trick is to focus on how you can make someone’s experience with your brand a great one every time. It is not only about how your numbers are.

If you’re creating something good and backing it with a positive brand experience, the numbers are going to follow suit.

Remember These Branding Tips for the Future

While you can set yourself up for success in every aspect, it is still possible to veer off the tracks every once in a while. You might find yourself actually getting caught up in the numbers or just feeling lost in all the chaos of running a brand.

These branding tips, however, will always be here. You can make a visual for yourself with these tips on it, or you can bookmark and visit whenever you’d like.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in any of our branding services or just have questions, contact us today to schedule an appointment.

This November, we ask that you join us in a month of thankfulness & giving as our team helps Bartlett Housing Solutions with a canned food drive. After seeing a recent post expressing an urgent need for canned goods, we wanted to help. In addition to making a donation, we have helped create this joint campaign to help fill their pantry for winter. We ask that you join us, if you can, as we help support their mission for ending homelessness in Morgantown.

To support social distancing, we have created a STICK team donation page within their fundraiser that allows you to donate online. All funds go directly to Bartlett Housing and purchasing canned foods.

You can donate here.

There are some great, local businesses serving as drop points, such as Morgantown Powersports, Compass Realty Group, Farmhouse Sweets, Women In Balance, Encompass Health and STICK Tattoo Company.

If you are interested in being a drop point, or in hosting an online team fundraiser from your family or business, please contact us and we can help walk you through it.

One of the things our team enjoys most are the great people we get to work with, such as the team at Arch Resources, Leer Mine Complex. For over three years, our team has worked closely with this group, helping to create a variety of logos, custom designs, wall wraps and decals. Our team also created a corporate video featuring the various aspects of the operation, including their longwall operation.

Located in Grafton, WV, Leer Mine Complex achieved an AbsoluteZero award for 2019, resulting in no loss time injuries for the year! Our team helped showcase the achievement with a custom logo for the milestone, along with a series of promo items and wraps.

In the video above, Chet Mclean discusses the ongoing partnership with our team, as he recaps some of the featured projects we have completed together.

At The Stick Company, our team has been fortunate to work on a number of patriotic and military-themed wraps including the memorial wall wrap in New Martinsville, the lobby wraps at Camp Dawson and and numerous veteran-owned companies. However, one wrap that continues to stand out to us is the 40′ fuel tanker wrap that was custom-designed for KML Trucking, located in Clarksburg, West Virginia.

The custom patriotic design was guided by the truck’s owner and driver, Dustin Lowdermilk, who wanted the rolling memorial to honor all that serve in our military’s five branches. But, the design had an even deeper meaning to Lowdermilk – he wanted the design to pay tribute to his late father and grandfather, both Veterans themselves.

Since completing the project, this custom-wrapped fuel tanker has been driving around the Mid Atlantic region, receiving an array of waves, horn beeps, and even salutes on a daily basis. Lowdermilk explained that he appreciates the recognition, as it shows people are seeing the design, and paying their respect to our Veterans.