What is Summit Imprints?

Summit Imprints offers awards, promotional products, branded merchandise, custom apparel, and creative services. State-of-the-art engraving and customization services unite in-house production with a diverse network of suppliers and vendors. The in-house production team specializes in laser engraving, rotary engraving, heat transfer printing, full-color sublimation printing, embroidery, sandblasting, and more. The design team also provides layout, design, and artwork services upon request. From the showroom and workshop in the historic neighborhood of Mount Vernon (Baltimore, MD) Summit Imprints inspires customer and team loyalty through custom-designed products for recognition programs, annual events, conference giveaways, and brand awareness.

Mission Statement

We aspire to be recognized for our ability to meet our clients’ needs through refined consultation services, creative expertise, industry connections, and unparalleled customer service. By leveraging our experience in various printing and decoration methods, we aim to continuously innovate and deliver cutting-edge solutions that align with our clients' goals and values. Through our unwavering dedication to exceeding expectations, we envision building enduring relationships, driving brand success, and making a positive impact in the communities we serve.

Press Coverage

History

The earliest image we have of 17 W Chase Street is the below image, from the 1869 drawing "E. Sachse & Co’s Bird’s Eye View of Baltimore," courtesy of the Library of Congress.

The earliest written record we can find of 17 W Chase St is from 1866, but it may have been built earlier. Through careful restoration, our goal is to keep with the historic traditions and styling of the neighborhood while providing modern services.

As we learn more history about the building, we'll post it here!

The more recent history...

In 2017 Shana and Chris Beach invested in a two-unit rowhome in one of the city’s historic neighborhoods and moved into the top half of the building. The bottom floor, previously a gift shop named “Chase Street Accessories” and still bearing the sign, had been converted into an apartment. When the tenants moved out at the end of 2018, Shana joked over New Years Eve drinks that despite her and Chris’s full-time jobs, it would be a good time to open that “trophy shop” she’d wanted since working in one in high school. To her surprise, their friend and neighbor Robbie immediately responded, “If you open it now, I’ll run it for you!” By April 2019, the team had collected the permits, equipment, and inventory and officially re-opened the shop as “Chase Street Accessories.”

The business was originally named “Chase Street Accessories” because the sign had been on the building since 2004  from a store that shuttered in 2009. However, over time, the business evolved. In the summer of 2023, the team re-branded the business as Summit Imprints.

Summit Imprints started with just a laser engraver, since it provided the most immediate versatility, but quickly adapted to client demands and desires. Since opening, the workshop has added a rotary engraver, embroidery machine, sublimation printer, and multiple heat presses. The team originally expected to primarily serve awards clients but realized in a hurry that promotional items are also extremely popular for local organizations. In August of 2020, Summit Imprints established its promotional division, which specializes in leveraging a select network of vendors to outsource large projects.

On March 30, 2020, Governor Hogan announced the stay-at-home executive order that effectively shut down Maryland retail. Summit Imprints (called Chase Street Accessories at the time) already had an online store in place, so immediately switched emphasis to online order fulfillment. Thanks to Maryland's COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund, the business was able to purchase remote-work equipment and software for all its staff and to this date has not reduced hours or pay. Because the team already had a cloud-based workflow in place, all order fulfillment continued on-time, including contactless pick-up. As the popularity of virtual events increased, organizations discovered that physical gifts were a great way to make these occasions feel more "real." The team worked with clients like the Johns Hopkins University Center for Social Concern, the Maryland State Dental Association Charitable & Educational Foundation, and Chase Brexton Health Care to directly ship tailored packages to annual event sponsors and attendees. They also leveraged in-house processing capabilities to support local Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) manufacturing efforts by laser-cutting fabric to mass-produce a 100% cotton mask with a filter pocket and 3D-printing and cutting parts for acrylic face shields.

While the COVID-19 crisis continues to have a lasting impact, Summit Imprints makes the best of the situation and will continue to resiliently survive and support its Maryland business partners as much as possible.

Meet the Team

Owner, Project Lead

Shana Kayne Beach

Shana's first exposure to the awards and personalization industry was when she worked in an engraving shop in high school. She quickly realized that almost no one buys trophies when they're in a bad mood and loved working with all the technology and design theory involved in creating products for customers. After high school, Shana went on to earn a BFA in Industrial Design and a MA in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas, and a MS in Computer Science from Dakota State University. She also chose to join the U.S. Air Force and served overseas in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. Eventually she realized she wanted to return to creative pursuits, and with the help of her husband Chris opened Chase Street Accessories & Engraving, now Summit Imprints.

As the majority owner and project lead, Shana focuses on keeping all processes running smoothly. Thanks to her military career, she drives the team crazy with checklists and processes to ensure the most efficient and effective customer service possible. Her undergraduate design training allows her to oversee all custom work to ensure 100% customer satisfaction. Finally, her experience in computer science and web development means the website is built in-house and hand-tailored to the needs of clients. In March 2021, she earned her Certified Recognition Specialist certification through the Awards and Personalization Association. She is an active participant in the Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Visit Baltimore, and the Mount Vernon Belvedere Association business committee.

Owner, Facilities Manager

Christopher Beach

Chris originally hails from the great plains of Kansas. It was there he developed an interest in building hairspray-powered potato cannons. His crowning achievement in those days was launching a potato nearly 500 feet into a neighboring pasture. Naturally, those interests led to him starting a career in healthcare information technology on the island of Oahu. In 2017 Chris moved to Baltimore (for the second time), and he and his wife Shana have fallen in love with the city and their neighborhood of Mount Vernon. He currently splits time between his day job at a local health care organization and his role as part owner of Summit Imprints.

Chris’s favorite thing about working at Summit Imprints is experimenting with the equipment and learning new techniques. Countless objects have ended up in the "oopsie box" thanks to his dedication to learning. When he isn’t working with the machines, he is busy maintaining and updating the workspaces to suit the changing needs of the business. Furniture has been assembled, outlets have been wired, equipment has been leveled, and drywall has been sanded. For this and many other reasons, Chris is grateful that he works with a group of truly magnificent people who possess unlimited patience for noise, fumes, dirt, and fart jokes.

Production Strategist

Robert Lynch

Robert, known as "Robbie" by his friends, first entered the industry in 2018. What began as a chance encounter with Shana and Chris during their first months as neighbors in the city quickly blossomed into a friendship that supports each other like family. Born and raised in Queens, New York City in the 80’s, Robbie’s career started out in medicine with a degree in nursing before going back to school for information technology in upstate New York. He ultimately moved to Baltimore 18 months later.

As the production strategist, Robbie’s primary focus is translating Shana's processes and direction into unparalleled client satisfaction. If Shana is the brains of the operation, Robbie is the heart. As the dominant presence in the showroom, he interacts with the clients the most, and ensures every customer receives the attention and quality they deserve. He views the mission of the shop as taking a memory and creating an tangible representation of the story, which he is honored to be a part of. Robbie is currently working on his Certified Recognition Specialist certification with the Awards and Personalization Association and is an active participant in several community and maker organizations such as Open Works and Made in Baltimore.

Technician

Jordan Levine

Jordan Levine is the newest technician on the team. In his spare time, he's a designer and notebook maker and the founder of WonderBooks. He loves to create fun images and products that are aesthetically pleasing and useful.

He’s taught screen printing, design, and book binding at places like the Baltimore Museum of Industry and Towson University, and is a part of the Made in Baltimore Program.