Brian Harlin?s handiwork can be seen throughout the highways and byways of Maryland, accounting for the 20-hour days he?s putting in this summer. Some may even call them eyesores or even worse, depending on their political persuasion.
Harlin?s 16-year-old GOP Shoppe, operating now in an airport industrial park, has already cranked out 25,000 Ehrlich yard signs, and close to 1,000 of the huge 4- by 8-foot signs that can cost $15 to $80, depending on the quantity.
“It?s unbelievable the number of phone calls we receive in a day that say people haven?t got their Ehrlich signs,” Harlin said. “Ehrlich stuff is more popular than it was four years ago.”
Harlin is also the man behind the Steele signs, and those of virtually any other Republican candidate in Maryland you can name. Harlin believes in the messages he prints ? he?s the GOP chairman in Howard County, where he lives. He doesn?t make products for Democratic candidates.
Harlin began as a home-based business producing “Slick Willie” calendars, growing in size, reputation and connections. He?s been the master vendor for the Republican National Convention and the last two Bush inaugurals. He sells every sort of paraphernalia from labels and bumper stickers to higher-end souvenirs candidates might hand out at fancy fundraisers.
Harlin has 15 to 20 employees, most of them part time, and “we?re at least two weeks backed up on jobs,” he said. He?s also doing the signs and stickers for Republicans in Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire.
Harlin designs most of the signs and bumper stickers he prints, but not the signature Ehrlich poster.
“Most times graphic designers don?t get the simplicity of political signs,” Harlin said. “Too many candidates try to put too much on a sign or a bumper sticker.”
Harlin sometimes teams up in buying raw materials with Democrat Michael Cocia of Campaign Source.com in Washington. “We don?t serve the same customer base,” since Democrats demand American-made goods from union shops, Cocia said. “He can bring things in from overseas that I can?t bring in.”
“The off-season gets shorter and shorter,” Harlin said. “We?re already getting calls about the convention.” And next year he?ll travel to Iowa and New Hampshire to talk to the presidential candidates and staff.
