Boondock Designs Makes a Positive Impression With Customized Apparel, Products
- published: 2025/03/31
- contact: NBDC Communications - Nebraska Business Development Center
- phone: 402.554.6256
- email: kjefferson@unomaha.edu
Chappell – Bookdock Designs in Chappell, Neb., has transformed a name that means remote and rural into a sophisticated reputation for customized products and “out of this world creations.”
The company’s logo is a unique representation of that creativity. It features a windmill, sunflowers, a barn – and a cow being transported up into a UFO. “It was done for us by a local graphic designer,” says Boondock Designs’ owner Brenda Parsons. “I gave her the sunflowers, windmill and country barn. She came up with the cow and the UFO.
“We decided to go with it because it’s out of the box,” Parsons says. “It’s really become a talking piece.”
As have the custom designs Parsons and her husband, Jeff, have been delivering for clients in Chappell, where Boondock Designs has a store and studio, and the surrounding communities, including Lodgepole, where the couple lives.
Parsons says her husband, who also owns a lawn care business, helps on the creative and production side of the business, while she concentrates on marketing, the company website and building a roster of satisfied clients. “The way we work together truly makes it our business,” she says.
The couple was exploring ways to supplement the seasonal lawn care when they attended a workshop in 2023 hosted by Western Nebraska Community College and the statewide Energizing Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (e3) Initiative for people interested in starting their own business.
The way we work together truly makes it our business.
The e3 Initiative is a collaboration between the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Nebraska Community Foundation, NetWork Kansas and e2 Entrepreneurial Ecosystems; along with SourceLink Nebraska, a statewide program of the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC); and local chambers of commerce and economic development groups.
That workshop is where they met Alexander Coon, Center Director of the NBDC office in Scottsbluff. Coon subsequently assisted Parsons with a business plan and financial projections.
“He gave me direction and I used the tools he provided,” Parsons recalls. “Because he helped with the business plan, we were able to apply for funding through the Chappell Economic Development/Chappell Chamber of Commerce to assist with start-up costs, and work with GROW Nebraska® for grant funding through the Nebraska Department of Economic Development.”
Beyond the paperwork, there have been other challenges. “It’s been a real learning curve on the equipment we use,” Parsons says. “We don’t do screen printing. It’s all direct to film, and then we employ a digital printing process that uses heat and pressure to transfer ink onto many different materials.
“At times, those printers have been a challenge, as well as the embroidery machine,” she says. “I had done embroidery in 4H, but that was 40 years ago."
Making the region aware of their company has also been a challenge, Parsons says. Boondock Designs wants to serve as an extension of area schools, booster clubs, non-profit and other organizations, youth clubs and businesses.
“Small communities often turn to the internet for services like ours,” she says. “But dealing with big national companies, the result doesn’t always look right. We want people to know that we can help. We’re local, we are friendly, and we pride ourselves on face-to-face customer service. We can do everything national companies do – and get it right."
Despite the challenges, Parsons says she is happy to be a small business owner. “I’ve always worked for somebody else,” she says. “As I’ve gotten older, I wanted to do something for me, something where I didn’t have to clock out for lunch and work ungodly hours.”
She says Boondock Designs has helped her grow as a person. “I’m an introvert, and this has really gotten me out of my shell,” she says. “I’m active in the Chamber and on two local boards. It’s been scary, but I’m glad I’m doing it. And, I hope we’re filling a void and helping our community as well.”