Omahan in Sticky Business

- Omaha World-Herald, July 1993

Former Omahan Nick Nolte is not the only local product movie goers will see in the new film, "Blue Chips".

The picture, still in production, has Nolte working as head basketball coach at Western University.

Western is a fictional school, but Don Shafer Display, Inc. is making it look authentic.

The Omaha company has turned out dozens of banners, streamers, decals and other colorful trappings that have transformed a high school basketball area at Frankfort, Ind., into the "Dolphin Dome", where Nolte's Western university Dolphins play their home games.

For filming earlier this month, the center of the court was dominated by a 12-foot circular decal made of vinyl and affixed to the oak floor with a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

The blue "paint" covering the free throw lane was another Shafer decal, which was removed after the shoot was completed.

Don Shafer, founder and owner, said the company got the movie job in April in a call from the producers of Paramount Pictures. They wanted to start filming in June.

"That was no problem," Shafer said. His plant on Park Avenue has been handling similar jobs for years for real college basketball teams--and for the National Basketball Association.

Shafer, 66, said his silk-screen printing company got into athletic decal making about 25 years ago: "It all started on day when Charlie Mancuso, then the City Auditorium Manager, came into the shop."

"He said the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA would be playing some of their home games in Omaha, and he wanted their logo on the floor. It would be a four-foot decal.

"I said, 'We can't do that.' He said, 'Yes you can.' Charlie didn't take 'no' for an answer.

"A week later he brought in the art work and the material for the decal. He said ‘Do it,’ then he left. So we did it.

"Soon after that we were making decals for all the NBA teams -- the Pistons, Bullets, Lakers, Knicks -- everybody." Shafer said.

"The NCAA saw what we were doing for the pros, so they wanted them," he added.

"Today," he said, "the company is undoubtedly the biggest printer of athletic decals in the country."

Products include decals, banners and other attention-getting products for the CWS as well as NCAA basketball tournament, including the Final Four basketball championship."

"We also do a lot of work for over individual conferences, like the Southeastern Conference, the Big XII Conference, and Big East Conference," Shafer said, adding, "probably 30 conferences. Some of them you wouldn't even recognize."

The TV-conscious NCAA often calls on Shafer to make large backdrops for use at special press conferences. Shafer also made promotional decals for water coolers at NCAA events.

At the baseball College World Series, Shafer-made banners cover advertising ordinarily seen on the outfield fence at Omaha's Rosenblatt Stadium.

Although Shafer’s contract with the NCAA is subject to review annually, it has been renewed each year with one exception.“That was in one of the earlier years,” according to Don Shafer.

“They called and said, sorry, but they had found someone who would do the work for less money. But, about a month later they called and said what they got from the other guy was low quality and behind schedule," he said.

Shafer said he has always made deliver on time even though, says Shafer, "Just about everything seems to be a rush job. We get calls on Tuesday for something they want on Friday."

However, college and NBA business accounts for not more than 20% of sales.

Shafer decals are also used to identify farm equipment, military aircraft, police and fire vehicles, MAT buses, pleasure boats and numerous other objects with or without wheels.

Shafer's pole banners promote special events, such as Septemberfest.

"We say we do just about everything but T-shirts and coffee mugs," Shafer said. "I won't turn anything down. That's the challenge. One time we made decals for Big Red toilet seats."

Shafer was born in Bellevue, NE, the son and grandson of printers. "When I was 10 years old, I drew a picture of a turkey that won first prize in a contest that was sponsored by one of the newpapers...my prize was a live turkey, which we ate on Thanksgiving," he said.

Triumph in the contest confirmed to him that he was an artist. He went on to study art at the University of Omaha, forerunner of UNO (University of Nebraska - Omaha). He earned a bachelor of fine arts.

Shafer's first job after college was with the Western Outdoor Advertising Co. "One of the salesmen wanted us to get into decals," he recalled, adding, "so we did. The decal section was off in a corner, but it got bigger and bigger."

From there he went to Precision Display, where he was a manger for 10 years.

Shafer explained, "I started my own business in 1964 at 1412 Howard St. Two years later we move here."

Since then, the one-story plant has expanded several times. Today it has about 15,000 square feet of floor space.

Shafer meanwhile, has no plans to retire. "I'm enjoying myself too much for that," he said.

Whether you order online now, by phone, or in person, we are here to serve you. Please do not hesitate to contact us anytime with your needs at CustomerService@ShaferDisplay.com or toll-free at 1.888.346.2512.