TORONTO - Doug Flesch said he's delighted to be back in his hometown and doing business. Flesch, a 1988 graduate of Toronto High School, grew up in the Gem City and recently returned to open River City Apparel at 237 N. Fourth St.

"I'm originally from Toronto," said Flesch, adding he currently lives in Tiltonsville with his wife. "I own three stores like this one, and I also have a political consulting firm that's called Landslide Media."

Flesch said the new store, which opened Sept. 28, would specialize in screen printing on T-shirts, sweat shirts, sweat pants, hoodies and other apparel. The store also will carry some retail products as well, he added.

Flesch said he opened the store in Toronto because of "the need. There is no screen printer in Toronto. We also do full design. At Christmas, I'll have every high school, Toronto Titans and college apparel in the store.

"Most of our work right now is custom orders for organizations, businesses and Little League teams," he continued.

Flesch said he typically takes an order and creates a mock-up for the customer of what a design will look like once completed.

"We can (print) just about anything," he said, adding he hopes to expand the business into the building next door so he can do screen-printing at two locations rather than just at his central manufacturing location.

"I'll do everything next door," Flesch said. "I just want to have more of an open showroom."

Flesch said he recently joined the Toronto Ohio Chamber of Commerce, adding Toronto is a good place to do business when compared to other local municipalities. He said River City Apparel is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays with manager Chris Martaus. Flesch added it's been a good experience so far.

"It's been great seeing and serving people I haven't seen for 20 years," he said.

(Miller can be contacted at mmiller@heraldstaronline.com.)