Couple marks anniversary by launching new business venture

Liz Engel Clark
Thursday, Jun 7, 2012

COOKEVILLE – Kris and Amanda Lusk celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary in a most unique way on Monday – by officially marking the opening of their new business.

The two celebrated the launch of Wrap Partners, a new vehicle wrap company in Cookeville, with a number of dignitaries on a bright and clear morning. The grand occasion, however, had another important purpose – it served as send off for a bus recently outfitted by Lusks and one with a particularly patriotic feel.

Designed for the U.S. Military All-Stars’ “Red, White and Blue Tour,” the bus, wrapped in a red, white and blue theme, will transport off-duty military baseball players, who come from all braches of the Armed Forces as well as first responders, to 45 states this year. The tour, baseball’s version of the Globetrotters, aims to honor and support men and women still overseas, and the stops include games against minor-league and summer collegiate baseball teams.

The bus itself took 60 hours to wrap and a week or so to design. During the ceremony, the Lusks, their employees and family and friends shared hugs and posed for plenty of pictures before the bus left the lot that day. Then it was back to their fledgling business.

Kris Lusk, now his own boss, has been in the sign business for more than 10 years and decided now was the time to make it on his own. He will partner with other sign and marketing companies in order to complete their vehicle wrap projects.

Wrap Partner also hopes to open a training school on site this August. They’ll be targeting veterans and will train them for jobs in an industry that’s just “exploding,” said M.J. Lusk, mother of Kris Lusk.

Wraps, which cover the body of a vehicle, are considered one of the fastest-growing forms of advertising.

“There’s sign shops all over the United States and they’re looking for people who wrap,” M.J. said. “There’s going to be over a million (soldiers) that will be released from duty within the next year, they’re needing jobs and we’re hoping we can assist them in attaining those careers.”

Wrap Partner is located on Burgess Falls Road. The couple hopes to have a larger grand opening celebration closer to the Fourth of July holiday, Lusk said, but for now, they are going to enjoy the success of the send off and future projects to come.

“We’re excited,” M.J. said.