About Us / Testimonials

Body Covers Screen-printing actually originated out of a very small basement in Manchester, New Hampshire.  The company was founded by Peter Coldwell and Betsy Spencer in 1989. They actually hand painted their first few orders.  When they outgrew their basement they moved their whole operation to Laconia New Hampshire in the early nineties. Since then Body Covers has been steadily expanding, growing into the business it is today!

We come back to Body Covers every year, and they always take good care of us!

“We love them!” Betsy Donovan - Meredith Rotary Fishing Derby

We invite you to get to know  values, methods, and the team that ensures you get the best experience possible.

Our Story

When Peter and Betsy outgrew their basement, they moved their whole operation to Laconia, New Hampshire.  One of their very first interns was a NHCTC student named Aaron Gray.  On Aaron’s first day Peter asked what he wanted out of his internship “To Own my own shop” was his now famous last words.

Aaron & Sarah
Aaron & Sarah “NHCTC” Class of 1997

emily pict
Emily on a pile of shirts!

Aaron met Sarah Matson-Jones at NHCTC- Laconia while they were both pursuing degrees in graphic arts. Aaron was the quiet kid with the 4.0, and Sarah the fast talking people person.  From day one their relationship plan was to own our own T-shirt shop.  They graduated, and Aaron went full time at Body Covers, Sarah moved on to another screen printer in Bow.  They married and settled into the Lakes Region.  The birth of our daughter Emily in 1998 really put their business plans on the back burner for a while.  In 2002, Betsy and Peter decided to make Body Covers a family affair and hired Sarah.  After almost a year watching the husband wife work together they decided it was time for early retirement. They had exactly two months to pull it together.

On January 1st 2003, Sarah and Aaron officially took over the ownership of Body Covers Screen-printing.  The business thrived and grew, which led them to move our separate shop locations at Bay Street and Main Street to the O’shea Industrial Park. For the first time in thirteen years the whole facility was under one roof.  On April 1st 2008, Body Covers took over ownership of Embroidery Plus.  Embroidery Plus was a sister company of Body Covers co-habitating in the same building on Main Street since 1993.  Embroidery Plus was founded by Karen and Fran Mainieri.  After over twenty years of ownership Karen was ready to retire.  To keep it simple, Embroidery Plus became Body Covers Screen-printing and Embroidery.

Our original crew circa 2003
Our original crew circa 2003

Even though we have come a long way from our humble beginnings,  We are still humbled by your decision to make us your T-shirt shop.  I think we both thought the novelty of owning our own shop would wear off in a few years but it hasn’t.. The large and small orders we appreciate them all.  It’s been a wild ride, and we couldn’t have done it without your support!