News

Oct 20, 2024

Manual printing business marks Lincoln bank’s fourth pop-up location

Lindsay Griepenstroh prints puns onto greeting cards in her garage on a machine that weighs over a ton. Griepenstroh is the owner of Truth Papers and uses a century-old antique letterpress. She

Lindsay Griepenstroh prints puns onto greeting cards in her garage on a machine that weighs over a ton.

Griepenstroh is the owner of Truth Papers and uses a century-old antique letterpress. She brought a smaller version to her new pop-up shop inside of Union Bank & Trust's downtown lobby. All of the stationery includes Griepenstroh’s designs.

Truth Papers owner Lindsay Griepenstroh holds cards she designed and pressed herself at her pop-up shop located in the lobby of the downtown Union Bank & Trust location on Wednesday.

“I have a background in graphic design and I've always just had an obsession with paper and greeting cards, stationery,” Griepenstrosh said. “Shopping for school was always my favorite time of the year.”

For the holiday season, Griepenstroh will be at Union Bank Place as a pop-up shop. The bank regularly hosts pop-ups at its large downtown branch to support some of their customers with small businesses. Griepenstroh sells greeting cards, stickers, notepads and prints.

Truth Paper’s stationery is printed using a letterpress. During the process, ink is spread onto a plate using rollers before it is pressed onto a piece of paper in a pattern determined by a plastic stencil.

Truth Papers owner Lindsay Griepenstroh uses a small printing press to create a handmade card she designed at her pop-up shop located in the lobby of the downtown Union Bank & Trust location.

Griepenstroh’s designs include a description of the anatomy of a Nebraska football fan, puns and birthday cards featuring characters like snails and gnomes.

Printing was originally just a hobby for Griepenstroh, but during the pandemic she couldn’t do her normal job making handouts for a church.

One of the handmade cards for sale at the Truth Papers pop-up shop explains the anatomy of a Cornhusker fan.

“You couldn't hand things out,” Griepenstroh said. “And so I pretty much didn't work there. And so I took that opportunity to put a lot of time into Truth Papers and see what I could do with it.”

Truth Papers can be found at different craft shows, on Etsy and at the bank from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday.

Truth Papers, a new pop-up shop located in the lobby of the downtown Union Bank on Wednesday.

The bank has hosted several other companies through its pop-up program, which is open to small-business owners who are customers of the bank. Pop-up residents have the space for a four-month period, Union Bank Vice President of Small Business Stephanie Dinger said. The bank along with the graduates of the pop-up celebrated the one-year anniversary of the initiative in September, she said.

“So most banks highlight commercial customers that are large customers, but one of the pieces that we have really focused on is giving resources to the small businesses, or those starting,” Dinger said.

She said the pop-up is a competitive advantage for the bank and showcases what makes it different. Both a coffee shop and the pop-up space are in front of the bank's tellers on the ground level of the downtown branch.

“We really are reinvesting back to our customers, and it's fun for customers to come into this building and have a coffee shop, a place they can go buy something,” Dinger said. “This building is full of people who work here and it's really neat for them.”

Handmade cards and stationery for sale at the Truth Papers pop-up shop located in the lobby of the downtown Union Bank & Trust location.

At first, Trust Papers' stint in the pop-up location was delayed because Griepenstroh had jury duty, but now the business is fully set up and a good place to shop for unique holiday gifts, Dinger said.

“It's true entrepreneurship, from the moment you started in your time, it's been unique,” Dinger said of Griepenstroh. “You had jury duty and it's just really cool to see entrepreneurship happening right inside our building.”

The latest inflation report has shown that consumer price growth in the US has slowed to its lowest pace since February 2021, the first month President Joe Biden took office. The data indicates an economy where the cost of goods and services is decreasing, employment opportunities are stabilizing, and interest rates are easing. This lower level of inflation is a full-circle moment for the Biden administration, as America has had to adjust to a 21% increased cost of living since early 2020, following the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2024, the annual inflation rate was 2.4%, which was 0.1% higher than predicted, but less than August’s 2.5%. This slight decrease indicates an easing of inflationary pressure. The rising cost of living is a major concern for voters in the upcoming presidential election, with food and housing being the most impacted by the initial surge in prices. Former President Donald Trump has accused his 2024 opponent, VP Kamala Harris, of being connected to Biden administration spending which he claims caused the surge in inflation. Economists argue that supply chain disruptions and shifts in consumer behavior have played as much, if not more, of a role in the inflation surge than Biden's policies. Many economists have disputed Trump’s promises to boost jobs and raise salaries if elected, as he has not proposed a plan detailing how he will achieve this. Harris’ economic proposals have also faced skepticism from experts, as they feel her promises to cap rent and grocery price increases are unlikely to be approved by lawmakers. Questions about the economy's future persist, as the National Federation of Independent Business reported that uncertainty among small business owners has reached a record high. "Although some hope lies ahead in the holiday sales season, many Main Street owners are left questioning whether future business conditions will improve," said Bill Dunkelberg, NFIB economist. Dunkelberg said that “uncertainty makes owners hesitant to invest in capital spending and inventory,” as inflation and business running costs put pressure on business owners.

Norris' Crew Moeller (4) dives into the endzone over Waverly's Trev Greve (2) to score a touchdown in the second quarter to score a on Friday, Oct. 18, 2024, at Norris High School.

Lincoln North Star junior Skyler Shaw practices welding at The Career Academy. Ten years since its grand opening, The Career Academy at Lincoln Public Schools has more than doubled its enrollment and district officials expect that growth to continue.

Factory Manager Dan Neil (from left), associate maintenance manager Tanner Winberg, predictive maintenance tech Kenny Rose, PDM Tech Chu Fung Wong, and IT tech Gary Schellhorn pose for a photo alongside their new Boston Dynamics robot dog Spot at Nestle Purina Petcare Company on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Crete.

Gretna's Alexis Jensen celebrates after the final out of the fifth inning during a Class A state tournament game on Thursday in Hastings.

Oliver Degner, 4, (from left) Charlotte Degner, 6, and Noelle Gormley, 7, all of Lincoln, run to the finish line during the Pumpkin Run on Sunday in Lincoln's Haymarket.

Erika Madison, Capital Humane Society animal welfare specialist manager, weighs a Goldendoodle on a scale during intake on Friday. The city of Lincoln is balking at signing a new long-term contract with the humane society to provide shelter for stray animals after the amount nearly tripled over previous years.

Russ Marr works on a wooden portion of "Vlad the Impaler" — an art piece depicting a goose that has the fangs of a vampire, the tongue of a serpent and the tail of a rattlesnake. The body of the piece uses an original tank from a 1977 Harley-Davidson Super Glide.

Malcolm's Cole Tiedeman (center) celebrates with his teammates after the Clippers defeated Raymond Central 27-19 on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, at Raymond Central High School.

Lincoln Northwest High School seniors Brookelynn Wheeler (from left), Tyjian Deerinwater, Kareem Yahya and Haylie Helmick investigate a crime scene during a forensics class on Tuesday.

Lincoln Lutheran's McKenzie Sidlo (center from left) goes to hit the ball over the net while defended by Pius X's McKenzie Becker and Faith Venable (2) during the third set on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, at Lincoln Lutheran High School

As seen from outside the UNL Union, Sen. Deb Fischer (right) speaks about her responsibilities as a senator and answers questions from students during a UNL College Republicans meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024, at the UNL Union. Fischer, the Republican from Nebraska seeking her third term in the US Senate.

Lincoln Southwest's Ja'Sara Wilson kicks up dirt as she slides into second base in the first inning of the A-2 district championship on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, at Doris Bair Complex .

Henry Oetjen augers corn from his combine into a grain cart while harvesting on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, at Oetjen Farms near Walton.

Pius X's Faith Venable (left) is mobbed by her teammates after scoring the set winning kill in the second set on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024, at Lincoln Lutheran High School

From left, Nola Broderick, 7, and her twin Rose Broderick ride their bikes past the Halloween decorations at the home of Wade and Debbie McGinnis at 5043 Leighton Avenue is seen on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Lincoln.

Malcolm players are silhouetted by the sun as they warm up before the game on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, at Malcolm High School.

Nebraska players huddle up the North endzone in the fourth quarter against Rutgers on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.

Wicked Bones band members Marshall Johnson (left) and Jobe Sullivan rock out onstage during at UNL's Battle of the Bands on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, at the Bourbon Theatre. Six local bands comprised of UNL students competed for a spot to perform as part of UNL's homecoming. The final two bands will perform during Cornstock on Friday.

Nebraska's Isaac Gifford (2), Nebraska's Ceyair Wright (15), DeShon Singleton (8) and Nebraska's MJ Sherman (48) celebrate a defensive stop during the third quarter of the game against Rutgers on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.

Nebraska's Jahmal Banks is defended by Rutgers' Eric Rogers is ruled as a incomplete pass, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, at Memorial Stadium.

Mark Thornton, executive director of Jacob's Well, sees potential in an old grocery store at 2001 J St. He hopes to create a new gather place and make it part of the neighborhood again.

Lincoln Southwest's Sage Strait competes in the Girls 5K during the LPS cross country championships at Pioneers Park on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024, in Lincoln.

Norris' Crew Moeller (4) stiff-arms Lincoln Pius X's Sam Kassmeier during the first quarter on Friday at Aldrich Field.

Teacher Maileigh Camp holds Tailey Helmstadter, 7 months, at an Early Head Start classroom Tuesday at the Community Action Head Start K Street Center.

Lincoln Southwest's Brenly Noerrlinger (from left), Ja'Sara Wilson and Hadley Madson sing a chant during a game against Fremont on Tuesday at Doris Bair Complex.

USC's Ally Batenhorst (left) reacts as Nebraska fans cheer for her before Sunday's match at the Devaney Sports Center.

Amy Bolton arranges several skeletons in tutus as she decorates her front yard for Halloween on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024, at her Lincoln home near 48th and High Street. Bolton has been decorating her yard with skeletons since she bought her home in 2020.

Reach the writer at [email protected] or 402-473-7391. On Twitter @NealHFranklin

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