Member Spotlight: Don Tillquist of Coastal Embroidery, Inc.

​Our Member Spotlight this week is from Don Tillquist of Coastal Embroidery, Inc., a family-owned and family-operated business in Camarillo. He attended our Business@Breakfast earlier this month and was selected to be featured in our newsletter, social media and website. The monthly, in-person breakfast series features a guest speaker and 20-second introductions by every attendee for incredible networking. Get to know Don and his business.

What can you tell us about the company?
Coastal Embroidery, Inc. is a family-owned and family-operated business specializing in customized apparel with embroidery, patches, screen printing, and advertising specialties. Our newest divisions, Trophies Etc. and Coastal Sign Shop, specialize in personalized trophies, awards, name badges, trade show tents and flags, table covers, banners and signs. We provide services for corporations, small businesses, organizations, sports teams, and individuals. 

​Our employees are trained to provide high quality customer service and design on premium products.  Brian Tillquist and Don Tillquist, owners of Coastal Embroidery, Inc., perform work on the premises from design to production.  They can help put your company’s name in front of more people.  Coastal Embroidery’s motto says it all, “Our Threads Will Turn Heads!” while Trophies Etc. and Coastal Sign Shop help make your brand memorable with their motto “Recognition Made Visible!”

As someone doing business in the region, how does the WVCBA help you?
We opened our business over 16 years ago and the Chamber of Commerce has helped us market ourselves and grow our business through many networking opportunities.  As a small business owner we have made many valuable business contacts and new customers by attending the expos and events.  The Chamber has a diverse and dynamic group who are so willing and wanting to help our businesses grow.  We love giving back and are very passionate about learning our peers’ industries so we can help refer them to people we know and help them grow in return.  We are a “family” that truly has our best interests at heart and wants to help support each other’s growth both personally and professionally.  

Do you have any advice for new business owners?
While we have plenty of competition in the area, we felt that starting our business on a full-service approach was different from a lot of “mom and pop” businesses without showrooms and little time for marketing.  I have always been a salesman.  One thing I learned and still believe is that you have to talk to and listen to people.  I sell by shaking hands and listening to what people want.  Sometimes they come to us not knowing what they really want.  That's where creative thinking comes in.

Contact Information
Coastal Embroidery
2263 Pickwick Drive
Camarillo, CA 93010
www.coastalemb.net
Phone: 805-383-5593  |  Email: sales@coastalemb.net

Our combined showroom offers one of the largest displays of embroiderable apparel, awards, and sign materials in the county.  The showroom is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.  Customers can visit the showroom to see and feel hundreds of samples from the best suppliers in the industry.