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Besse Shirt Lettering announces move to Schererville, IN

By Josh Bootsma

LANSING, Ill. (January 19, 2022) – Besse Shirt Lettering, currently located at 18058 Torrence Avenue in Lansing, has announced that it will move to Schererville, Indiana.

The embroidery and clothing printing business has been in Lansing for over 50 years according to owner Jeff Besse, who took over the shop after his father Ed started it in 1970. Besse said the business has been at its current location on Torrence Avenue for nearly 40 years.

“I’m very thankful. We’ve been very supported here through the years and it’s been a good run,” he said.

Reasons to move

The move is a combination of factors, Besse said, one of which is his son-in-law purchasing an ideal property for Besse Shirt Lettering in Schererville. Another, he said, is the general tax increases in Cook County.

“Everybody knows the taxes are just so high in Illinois now. And this isn’t my building,” Besse said. “I just know that my rent is going to have to go up eventually, taxes have gone up in the area. … It just seems like it’s a little bit out of control.”

Besse Shirt Lettering provides custom clothing, including shirts, sweatshirts, hats, loungewear, uniforms, and other items. The shop uses both silkscreen printing and embroidery to fill orders for customers.

Though the business will move roughly nine miles southeast to 1952 US 41 in Schererville, Indiana, Besse hopes his customers will continue to visit the shop for their custom clothing needs, adding that some of them have moved to Indiana in years past. He hopes to open the new location this spring.

A storied history

Besse, who lives in Lansing, said his father Ed first got into the printing business decades ago in Gary with a shop called Gary Bowling Supply. He then opened another nearby bowling supply store before opening up shop in Lansing. Ed Besse was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the United States Bowling Congress of the Greater Calumet Area in 1997.

“We took the silk screen and came over here to Lansing and just called it Besse Shirt Lettering. I’ve been pretty much involved in all those years as a kid,” Besse said. “I’ve been pulling the squeegee for over 50 years.”

“It’s been a really good run and we appreciate the town of Lansing throughout the years,” Besse said.

Besse Shirt Lettering is currently located at 18058 Torrence Avenue in Lansing.

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Josh Bootsma
Josh Bootsma
Josh is Managing Editor at The Lansing Journal and believes in the power and purpose of community news. He covers any local topics—from village government to theatre, from business openings to migratory birds.