Monday, April 22, 2024
CVTC alumni build businesses, grow legacies
Jamie Boulding, a 2007 Chippewa Valley Technical College graduate from the accounting program, and her husband Matt, the Cornell fire chief, purchased the local screen-printing business in 2015 and the business has grown since then.
Jamie Boulding, a 2007 Chippewa Valley Technical College graduate from the accounting program, has owned JM Screen Printing and More in Cornell since 2015, but her journey began years before owning her own business.
“I chose CVTC because of the online courses that were offered for the accounting program,” she said. “I was a single mom to a toddler at the time, and offering the online courses helped make my dream of graduating college come true.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today if I had not taken the chance to continue my education with the online program CVTC offered.”
With more than 165 programs, advanced certificates and apprenticeships, it’s no surprise that many Chippewa Valley Technical College graduates manage or own companies throughout west-central Wisconsin and beyond. Boulding said she always wanted to own her own business, but she didn’t know when or where it would happen.
The opportunity came to fruition when she was offered to purchase the screen-printing business from her mother-in-law. A few years after she took over the business, the embroidery shop in Cornell also decided to sell.
“I thought, ‘Why not? Let’s add to this,’” she said. “I was only running the business part time and still working my full-time job as well.”
Since them, with the help of her husband Matt Boulding, Cornell Fire Chief, they have added decals, large format printing and promotional items, as well as the screen printing and embroidery that helped get Jamie Boulding’s business off the ground.
Now she runs the business fulltime, and she has two employees as well.
“Graduating from the Accounting Program gave me the opportunity to work with other businesses. This played a crucial role in my business skills,” she said. “It gave me a strong knowledge in the financial management of a business, including budgeting, tracking expenses and making financial decisions. All of this helps me run my business.”
SIDEBAR: Why Buying Local Matters
Boulding said the lifecycle of growing up in west-central Wisconsin, going to College at CVTC, growing a business in the area and selling locally is important for the community.
“I feel buying locally is very important. It helps support the local economy and helps strengthen the community,” she said. “Supporting local businesses makes a positive impact on communities and contributes to the economy.
“When people buy from my business, they are supporting a local entrepreneurship. The money spent at my business circulates through the community but supporting other local businesses and helps create and maintain jobs. It also supports local events, causes and schools.”
