Jetty recently relocated their headquarters to 509 N. Main St. (Route 9) in Manahawkin, NJ, but before they even set up shop, they knew that a longstanding relationship with the Southern Regional School District was about to blossom.
The new HQ, positioned just east of the Southern Regional campus, includes Jetty’s production facility, warehousing, offices, and a new retail Flagship Store. Nearly everything Jetty happens at the central location from design and screen printing, to event planning and order fulfillment.
The brand’s 12 year history has been chock full of creativeness, curated events, grassroots marketing, Eco-friendly garment production, and entrepreneurship. It is the latter that Jetty operating partners Jeremy DeFilippis, Cory Higgins, and John Clifford want to focus on by bestowing their knowledge and experience onto the students within the business elective class (Entrepreneurship) at the Southern Regional High School just across the street. Both DeFilippis and Higgins graduated from Southern Regional in 1997. Clifford joined the Jetty team as a partner and Creative Director in 2009.
“It is exciting to be focusing the Jetty Rock’s efforts on the future leaders of our community. Small business is the backbone of our community and teaching students about all of the different aspects of running a business is something that we all are all very passionate about,” said Ann Coen, local business owner and President of the Jetty Rock Foundation.
The Jetty Rock Foundation is the nonprofit arm of the Jetty brand, an approved 501(C)3 charitable organization which was formed after Jetty raised considerable funds in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. A shift in focus from Sandy Relief toward youth-based initiatives prompted the most recent donation of $25,000 to the Southern Regional Education Foundation.
In 2014, the JRF donated in excess of $25,000 to all three Long Beach Island grammar schools in the form of technology, namely Apple I-pads, carts, licenses, and Chrome Books. A majority of the funds were generated from Jetty’s largest, fundraising event, Hop Sauce Festival – A Gathering of Craft Beer & Spice Enthusiasts.
“The excitement of organizing Hop Sauce is the anticipation of the money we will raise to give back to our community. My hope is that the tools we are able to provide to the students gives them the knowledge and confidence to go forward with their dreams and goals,” said Regina Lotito-Starin, Chief Organizer of Hop Sauce and owner of Spice It Up, one of the event’s title sponsors.
The Jetty Rock Foundation has also received donations through partnerships with Equity Prime Mortgage, The Law Office of William Wright, and Davies & DeGennaro Real Estate, three local businesses dedicated to the Foundation’s mission: to enhance business, arts, and culture for the future leaders of our community.
The current donation to Southern Regional will allow for the purchase of an Ultra Nexus HD, a video server that will provide a wonderful update to the school’s Modern Media department. The remaining funds will support Jetty’s integration into the Entrepreneurship elective sections which currently enroll 23 students, from freshmen to seniors. Jetty’s operating partners kicked off the program on September 15th by taking part in Q&A sessions both in the classroom and in the Modern Media studio.
“Students shared their thoughts after the initial meeting with the Jetty partners and threw out words like: professional, exciting, challenging, & fun. This project is a great way to incorporate real world applications into our Business program. The entire project is destined to be a win-win situation,” said Kathleen Hillblom, Entrepreneurship Teacher.
Students will continue to learn in a traditional sense via textbook instruction, but will also form teams and take part in hands-on screen printing projects that will run throughout the entire year.
“We are really excited about entering into this partnership with Jetty and the real-world, problem-solving, hands-on experiences it will offer our students,” said Darlene Parks, Supervisor of Instruction for Art, Business, English, Family & Consumer Sciences, Basic Skills, and Media Centers.
It is Jetty’s aim to guide these projects, provide Distinguished Speakers on a monthly basis, allow the students an open line of communication, and to facilitate actual screen printing within their facility. “
We felt that the life cycle of a T-shirt could really touch on all of the important aspects of small business, from creative to marketing to sales. It is really awesome that these students will actually get to brainstorm and follow through with the production of actual products,” said Jetty Chief Executive Officer Jeremy DeFilippis.
About Jetty:
Jetty is a grassroots company with a special touch of NJ garage must and dust. We print most of our own apparel in- house using an eco-friendly, water-based discharge ink system. Jetty was formed with the intention of supporting athletes, artists, travelers, and musicians while spreading positive energy. Knowing that we have accomplished these things and motivated many to do the same is the foundation of The Jetty Life. The Jetty brand currently sells in 100+ retailers in North America, Canada, & Europe. Please feel free to contact Jetty for further information regarding the company, The Jetty Rock Foundation, events, and/or eco-friendly screen printing services. Phone: 800.900.6435 or fax: 928.438.6825 or email: info@jettylife.com. Draw Your Own Line!
About Jetty Rock Foundation:
The Jetty Rock Foundation is an approved 501(C)3 Charitable Organization and the nonprofit arm of the Jetty brand. It was formed in 2013 in the wake of Superstorm Sandy when Jetty raised considerable funds through the Unite + Rebuild campaign. The JRF continues to raise funds through Hop Sauce Festival, other events, and private donations. The mission of the Jetty Rock Foundation is to enhance business, arts, and culture for the future leaders of our community.
