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By Alaina Mencinger / Journal Staff Writer Published: Tuesday, October 11th, 2022 at 3:34PM Updated: Tuesday, October 11th, 2022 at 3:36PM

Graphic designer Eric Griego had seen his family-owned and operated New Mexico clothing company, FS2 Supply Co., grow over the past five years from a market stand to a brick-and-mortar at the Santa Fe Railyards.

The best part? Impressing his three kids.

“If you can impress your kids, I think that’s a pretty good accomplishment,” Griego said.

Rather than making their kids get summer jobs, Griego and his wife Kelly originally decided to open their own company to teach them responsibility. Their kids fold shirts and work the heat press during school breaks.

Griego graduated from New Mexico State with a degree in graphic design. He worked at the university before starting his own design company, Firestik Studios, in 2005. He and his wife, an elementary school teacher, saw a need for good-looking New Mexico merch – and Griego realized he had the expertise to make his own.

“We were sick of seeing these really badly designed shirts at big box stores,” Griego said. “I thought, ‘Well, I have all the skills and the means.'”

The Griegos started with a handful of shirt designs which they sold at a weekend festival in Pojoaque – the same weekend as the couple’s 17th wedding anniversary. Although Griego was already a business owner, there was definitely a learning curve for retail.

“The retail things were, quite honestly, flying by the seat of our pants,” Griego said.

They started with six shirt designs. Now, they have dozens of different products – Griego said he has a hard time discontinuing any designs because he loves them all.

“If we can give New Mexicans a way to show their pride … we’re interested in carrying it,” Griego said.

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Griego attributes the success of the business to his family, including his sister Clarissa Lovato, who owns a marketing company and helped with the business.

“There were a lot of times where it would be easy to give up, but when you’re doing something that you love, it pulls you through those tough spots,” Griego said. “At the end of the day, your family … comes through for you in all of the tight spots.”

And Griego still loves what he does.

“It’s not just a design, it’s not just a shirt or a hat, it’s a vehicle to show their pride,” Griego said.

There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce and a grand opening from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. onThursday at 500 Market St Ste. 108, Santa Fe.