You’ve seen her flags all around town, now meet the woman behind them.
Alice Kate Berry of Pascagoula is the designer of the eye-catching decorative flags and banners adorning numerous light fixtures and private homes and businesses.
She has always been artistic and credits her passion for her craft to her father and uncle who own a 30+ year old wholesale business that specializes in casual outdoor furniture. While in college, she worked in their showrooms in New York and Atlanta each year at market and was always inspired by the entrepreneurs who turned their art and design work into various product lines.
“I have learned so much from them, especially when it comes to working with manufacturers and running and operating a small business,” said Berry.
After obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Bachelor of Science degree in Art Education from Kennesaw State University, she began teaching art and found much satisfaction from it.
But still needing an outlet for her talent and artwork, she created her business, Hometown Spirit Company. Her product line includes flags, banners, door hangers, t-shirts, sweatshirts, tumblers, koozies, hand towels, prints, and other items. Prices range from $10 to around $100 depending on the products.
The name “Hometown Spirit Company” aptly describes her products.
“I caught myself advertising them as items to boost ‘hometown spirit’ and I guess the name just followed.”
The first product she created was a Christmas flag for Pascagoula and it became a hit. She then slowly added flags for other seasons and then began to add other cities to the collection. She followed that up with making other products.
Mardi Gras and Christmas are her busiest seasons, and it’s an “all hands-on deck” situation on the weekends during these times. Each family member pitches in and helps get everything assembled, packaged, and labeled.
As much as Berry thrives on making her creations, she admits there is a downside. For one, she says it takes way too long to create each product. There is a whole process to each design whether it be coming up with the idea, planning the space and layout, colors, or how the elements will work together.
“I really envy designers who are able to crank ideas out quickly. That is definitely not me. I also spend a lot of time searching for quality products in which to use as a surface for my design work.”
Another challenging issue is due to the unfortunate production and supply shortages which she, as well as the whole country, still sometimes faces. It takes longer than usual these days to produce products. Berry sells most of her products through pre-orders, so there is usually a 2-3 week turn-around on most items. Each time she releases a new item, she usually publishes the order cut-off date with a social media post.
“Thankfully, I have the absolute sweetest customers who have been patient in dealing with some of these supply and manufacturing challenges that we have been facing lately,” said Berry.
Right now, Pascagoula is the only city that uses her pole banners.
“I love how these flags and banners have unified our city. It’s really cool to ride around all different areas and neighborhoods in Pascagoula and see a unified design and overall spirit for our community. That has truly been the most gratifying part of this whole venture. Outside of pole banners, I do have flags flying in cities all over the country.”
She is currently representing around 14 cities with her banners and hopes to continue to grow in other areas as well.
“I have customers in states all over the country that order these items. Many people, who were once Coast residents but have moved elsewhere, enjoy having a little piece of their hometown, whether it be a t-shirt, a flag, or something else. It’s awesome and so gratifying to ship these all over the country. I love getting photos from my customers displaying their ‘hometown spirit’ in all parts of the US.”
Berry has participated in a few local festivals in Pascagoula and Ocean Springs, however, weekends are usually busy with her daughters and other commitments, so it can be a challenge to participate in them.
And her wheels are always turning with new ideas for new products.
“I’m constantly looking for new ideas and new inspiration. Sometimes I wish I could turn that part of my brain off. However, those new ideas are definitely what keeps me going!”
When not teaching or working on her artwork, Berry cherishes her time with her husband, Will, and daughters Folsom and Price, and they especially enjoy spending time outdoors on the water, where she gets a lot of her inspiration.
“There is just nothing better.”
Berry’s vision for Hometown Spirit Company was to create an out of the ordinary lifestyle brand with an artistic flair that embodies the people and culture of the Gulf Coast and beyond. And that is just what she’s achieved.
For more information, visit the website at www.hometownspiritcompany.com or on the Facebook page (Hometown Spirit Company). Email address is [email protected].
