Worcester Business Journal

A passion for music and high- profile clients barely kept SJC Custom Drums afloat. Armed with a new business plan, the firm is quadrupling its space. A punk rock business L ocated inside a small, unassuming, cramped brick building in the heart of one of Central Massachusetts' manufacturing hotbeds is a drummer's Mecca. If a drummer has ever played hard-and- fast music, chances are they've been there or at least browsed SJC Custom Drums' website and portfolio of well-known drummers that rep its logo. The Southbridge drum makers have equipped some of today's biggest punk and metal bands: Green Day, Slipknot, Twenty One Pilots, Descendents, New Found Glory, Lady Gaga's band and Dropkick Murphys – a lineup to make a punk rock fan melt. Through word of mouth and relentless marketing, SJC is now a huge name in the drum-making busi- ness. Behind that success, however, was a company on the verge of bankruptcy run by punk rockers with no knowledge of how to operate a business. "We were just bootstrappin' it," Co-founder Mike Ciprarpi said. "We didn't know how much money we had in the bank, and we were working other jobs to buy parts for drums." Now, after coming up with a solid business plan – with a little help from a TV show – the company is moving to a 60,000-square-foot building just down the street in Southbridge to finally give the company room to breathe and showcase their work. A punk beginning The company was founded where most hardcore and punk music starts: a basement. The 17-year-old company started in Co-founder Mike Ciprarpi's grandmother's basement in Douglas. Now, it's in a 13,000-square foot facility in Southbridge. BY ZACHARY COMEAU Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer SJC Custom Drums: At a glance Source: SJC 8 Worcester Business Journal | October 30, 2017 | wbjournal.com Mike Ciprari is the co-founder of SJC Custom Drums. Since bringing on a partner, his company has reduced its drum kit manufacturing time from one year to eight weeks. Founded: 2000 Location: Southbridge (13,000-square feet, moving to 60,000-square-foot space in spring) Products: Custom drums, drum hardware Principals: Mike Ciprarpi, Chris Nikopoulos, Marcus Lemonis Employees: 12 Recording artists supplied with drums: 340+ Price of drum kit: $799 to $3,343 P H O T O S / E D D C O T E

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