by Rachel Hazzard
March 24, 2025
Categories: Client Stories, Hispanic & Latino, Women & Minority-Owned,
If you’ve ever bought a perfect art print, been inspired by sharp signage, or flipped through a printed brochure, you know the power of high-quality printing. At Fireball Printing, it’s about more than just ink and paper—it’s about transforming ideas into lasting impressions.
Started by Catherine Dentino and Paul Yavarone Jr. in 2008, Fireball Printing is an independent print shop specializing in digital, large format, and offset printing for clients of all types. What started as a small operation printing art prints for friends has quickly grown into a reliable print shop serving bars, venues, restaurants, schools, nonprofits and a variety of other businesses and organizations. We recently spoke with Dentino about her business journey and how Fireball has grown, both in size and impact.
What inspired you to start your business?
We started Fireball Printing to provide affordable, high-quality art prints for our artist friends to sell. At the time, my partner Paul was running a traveling art carnival project called BIG ART SHOW, which gave relatively unknown artists a platform to showcase their work. We saw how difficult it was for emerging artists to get their work out there. Fireball Printing was born out of a desire to bridge that gap, making professional-quality printing accessible and affordable for independent artists.
How has your business evolved since its inception?
What began as a small operation printing art prints for friends quickly expanded as more people discovered our services. Over time, we grew from primarily serving artists to also working with designers, small businesses, and large organizations. We added new equipment, processes, and materials to accommodate a wider range of printing needs—from custom booklets and posters to large-format prints and many other product types. Investing in our own building allowed us to scale up, improve production efficiency, and take on larger and more complex projects. While we’ve grown significantly, we’ve stayed true to our roots: offering high-quality printing with fast turnaround times and excellent customer service.
How do you stay innovative and adapt to changes in your industry? What makes your business unique?
The printing industry is constantly evolving, and we stay ahead by continuously investing in new technology, improving our workflows, and listening to our customers. One of the biggest ways we’ve adapted is by upgrading our equipment and automation tools to ensure faster turnaround times and higher-quality output without sacrificing affordability.
What makes Fireball Printing unique is our commitment to making high-quality printing accessible to a broad range of clients—from independent artists to large businesses—while maintaining the personal touch of a small, customer-focused company. We offer fast, reliable service, but we’re also flexible and willing to tackle custom projects that bigger, more rigid print shops might not accommodate. Our team is passionate about print, and we love working closely with our customers to help bring their ideas to life, whether that means troubleshooting tricky print files or finding creative solutions to meet tight deadlines.
Can you share a particularly memorable success story or proud moment in your business journey?
One of the biggest milestones for Fireball Printing was when we invested in our Canon varioPRINT iX3200. This was a huge leap for us—not just financially, but in terms of what it meant for the future of our business.
Before getting the iX3200, we were constantly pushing the limits of our existing equipment to meet demand while maintaining the high quality our customers expect. We knew that upgrading to an inkjet press of this caliber would allow us to print faster, expand our capabilities, and improve efficiency—but making such a significant investment was a big decision.
When the printer arrived and was finally up and running, it felt like a turning point. Not only did it enable us to produce even higher-quality work with better color consistency and faster turnaround times, but it also reinforced the fact that we were continuing to grow and evolve as a company. It was one of those moments where we could see all of our hard work paying off— our ability to take on more complex projects, improve production speed, and better serve our customers made it clear that this was the right move.
Video screen captures of Fireball Printing’s shop take from Inkish.tv
When and why did you seek PIDC’s assistance and in what way(s), specifically, did PIDC support your project?
We first sought PIDC’s assistance when we were in the process of renovating our building. We had purchased the property with an SBA loan through another lender, but as first-time commercial real estate owners, we underestimated the cost of renovations. This left us in a difficult position—unable to start renovations while still paying rent on our old space and a mortgage on a building we couldn’t yet use.
When we hit a wall trying to increase our original loan or secure additional financing elsewhere, PIDC was the key to finding a path forward. They connected us with a local lender that believed in our project and PIDC provided additional financing to bridge the gap between what we needed and what the other lender could offer. Beyond funding, PIDC remained an active partner throughout the construction process, ensuring that work progressed on schedule and was completed properly. Their support not only made our renovation possible but also set us up for long-term success in our own space.
In what concrete ways have you grown your business in general and after assistance from PIDC?
We decided to purchase our own building because our old space imposed several limitations that restricted our ability to grow. One major challenge was that the electrical capacity in our previous location couldn’t support the equipment we needed to expand our capabilities and improve production quality. Additionally, being on the fifth floor meant we were constantly dealing with broken elevators while trying to move large pallets of paper—an inefficiency that slowed down operations and increased costs.
With PIDC’s support, we were able to move into our own building, which provided the infrastructure necessary to scale. We upgraded our electrical capacity to accommodate high performance equipment, allowing us to enhance the quality and range of services we offer our customers. Designing an efficient production workflow in a space built for our needs streamlined our operations. As a result, we’ve been able to grow more efficiently, take on more work, and better serve our clients.
What advice would you offer to aspiring female entrepreneurs who are hesitant to pursue their business goals due to gender-related challenges?
As a woman—and as someone who tends to be more introverted—I’ve found that being heard and making sure my ideas are taken seriously hasn’t always been easy. One of the most important things I’ve learned is the value of surrounding yourself with people who respect and support your voice. That means seeking out business partners, collaborators, and mentors who genuinely listen and value your input.
It’s also crucial to foster a culture of open communication—not just within your team, but also with vendors, lenders, consultants, and anyone else who plays a role in your business’ success. Confidence grows with experience, but in the meantime, advocating for yourself, setting clear expectations, and making sure you have a strong support system can help [you] navigate gender-related challenges. Your perspective and leadership bring value—owning that and finding the right people to amplify your success can make all the difference.
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