Ruby Loon Graphics offering heat pressed apparel set to open in August
Next month, a new business offering apparel decorating and heat press services will open in Grand Marais.
The new business, Ruby Loon Graphics, is owned by Grand Marais resident Jessica Jacobsen Smith.
Smith is renting a space in the Northern Wilds building, located west of downtown, which will house her heat press and hat press machines and serve as a base for her business operations. With the two pieces of equipment, Ruby Loon Graphics will be able to put designs on shirts, sweatshirts, backpacks, hats, and various other apparel items.
“There’s just so many opportunities and so many options,” Smith said.
Ruby Loon Graphics is renting a space in the Northern Wilds building | Photo by Jessica Jacobsen Smith
The idea to start a heat press business stemmed from the lack of local options in Grand Marais, especially when it came to spirit wear, such as shirts for school sports or recreational sport teams, Smith said.
“I wanted to go and find a shirt for a game last minute, and the options were just not really here,” she said.
She then began exploring the opportunity to start a business and fill a need in the small town.
While there are a few final business details to finalize before she can officially open, Smith said she hopes to begin accepting orders by mid-August. Some of the final details she will be working on in the coming weeks are launching her social media accounts and website.
Smith said that although she has a strong desire to focus on providing spirit wear for local sports teams, she wants to “cater to our town and provide something that we don’t have or don’t have a lot of access to.”
She said she’s most looking forward to the adventure and growth of starting a business. “I don’t know what the future holds, but it’s going to be an adventure, and I’m going to grow from whatever happens.”
WTIP’s Kalli Hawkins sat down with Ruby Loon Graphics owner Jessica Jacobsen Smith to learn about her new business, lessons she’s learned, the process of placing orders, and more. The audio from the interview is below.
Kalli Hawkins July 4, 2025
