Page 29 - The Peorian Vol 3 Issue 1 Winter

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thePeorian.com The Present
“We were trying to get into it
as inexpensively as we could. We
had to. And we have learned as
we go. We still use that original
equipment, but we’ve grown and
have more now. And, we are now
the biggest contract screenprinter
in the area and we’re growing all
the time,” Mike said.
When it first moved to its
present location in 1988 ASA
rented just the middle one-third
of the building. When the other
two tenants moved out, Mike
and Debbie rented the space and
eventually took over the entire
building. Then in 2006 they
bought the building.
“When Starbucks came in
across the street and that little
shopping center there got busy,
we didn’t want to lose this spot.
And of course, when Emo’s is in
season it is always busy around
here. We hope Emo’s stays there
forever,” Mike said. “That clown
nose is a big part of Peoria and
it’s a nice landmark for us.”
While always looking for new
customers, the Hallars always
acknowledge and enjoy the many
long-time customers of the shop.
They are ready to design almost
anything on almost anything, us-
ing a computer design program
to create what a customer asks
for.
“You can make anything an
award,” Debbie said. “We have
even made awards out of beer
bottles and cans.”
Added Mike, “We even
mounted a cow chip once. I don’t
want to ever do that again, but if
somebody really wanted us to I
would.”
Debbie learned the busi-
ness from her parents, both of
whom became good friends with
customers. Her father eventu-
ally went blind, a tough thing for
somebody who created designs.
“He never let it bother him too
much. He just enjoyed talking to
people and the long-time custom-
ers still talk about him,” she said.
One of Wilbur’s earliest hires
at Academy of Awards was Mike
Hallar. That was in August, 1981.
That was when he and Debbie
met and in November 1982, they
married. “Mom and Dad taught
us a lot; not just about the busi-
ness but about people,” Debbie
said.
Now their nine employees and
their customers are their family.
“We wouldn’t be here without
them. We want to grow more and
we want them with us when we
do,” Mike said.
Continued on page 30
Mike and Debbie Hallar have
owned the store since taking over
from Debbie’s parents. One of
the growth areas since then has
been the embroidery business.
Here Debbie Hallar shows the kind
of detail the machines, pictured
above, are able to do.