Michelle Schraudner
Life Editor
“When you walk out of The Orange and Black store, you’re going to have a win-win attitude. You not only have a really great, affordable piece of ISU gear but you’ve also changed someone in the community’s life,” said Terry Fredrickson.
Fredrickson is the CEO of New Day Products & Resources, a Pocatello company that employs physically and mentally disabled community members in order to provide them with workforce training and a job.
New Day owns The Orange and Black Store. Its employees create all of the products sold at the ISU-centric shop.
“We have almost anything and everything that’s ISU,” said Fredrickson. “You want it, we’ve got it. If we don’t have what you want at the store, tell us and we’ll order it in. We’ll either make it or we’ll order it.”
Before joining New Day, Fredrickson was the student body president at Idaho State University in 2005.
“I bleed orange and black,” he said.
During his years at ISU, Fredrickson was bothered by the number of students he saw wearing Boise State University shirts. Finally, he stopped a young man on campus one day to see why he was wearing a BSU shirt rather than showing Bengal pride.
The response was simple: Boise State’s shirts were less expensive and college students are not known for being flush with cash.
Because of that conversation, The Orange and Black Store now sells $5 ISU shirts.
“My goal is to make it so that a freshman who is living on ramen noodles and going to [the] ISU theater can also have an ISU shirt,” said Fredrickson.
Along with ISU themed clothing, The Orange and Black store also sells items like backpacks, water bottles, temporary tattoos, hairbands, dog and cat apparel, car flags, car decals and postcards.
Fans of The Orange and Black Store’s Facebook page can win prizes from giveaways on Wednesdays.
“We have tons of likes,” said Fredrickson. “[Facebook page manager] Nan is really good about posting our new apparel and putting the winners of the contest up.”
Working for a company that produces Bengal products quickly makes fans out of New Day’s employees.
“At New Day we wear orange and black every Wednesday. We have a lot of affiliation with Idaho State,” said Fredrickson. “When you sit there and you make orange and black apparel all day, you become a pretty big fan pretty quickly.”
For last year’s homecoming football game, Fredrickson obtained 200 tickets. He gave every ticket away to people with disabilities.
“We have the biggest and best fans,” he said. “Two hundred people plus their family and guardians were at that game. Every one of those tickets that I gave away, they showed up. We had a whole section packed.”
Bengal fans shopping at The Orange and Black Store help people with disabilities “by allowing them to have a job that they may normally not have,” according to Fredrickson.
“Our motto at New Day is, ‘Do not diss my ability,’ as kind of a play on words,” he explained. “We do have job coaches and mentors. Our goal is to be able to have them learn skills so that they can go into the community and work at a job in the community. Some people stay, some people move on, whatever they feel comfortable with.”
Community members can also support New Day’s mission by looking into their other products.
“We have auto detailing. We have woodworking. Making ISU gear is just one thing we do. We make soaps. We have a whole body care line. We make trophies,” said Fredrickson.
The company’s car detailing business has grown immensely recently. Pricing runs from $25-$125, depending on the type of car and how messy it is. Discounts are available for ISU students.
“We understand you’re crunched for time and money,” said Fredrickson. “We try to give you the best deal possible and get you out the door.”
Those interested in auto detailing or other New Day services and products can stop in at 1704 N. Main or visit the company’s website at NewDayProducts.org.
For ISU students going into counseling, social work or special education, New Day Products & Resources currently has two open internship positions. Fredrickson said the position is 20-40 hours per week, depending on what the student is looking for.
The internships are unpaid but students can earn college credits for them. New Day has even had business students fill the internship positions in the past. Students interested in the internship positions can reach Fredrickson at 282-7807.
