PORT CLINTON — As she worked as a senior marketing and branding executive for local media outlets, Katie Reinhart had a side job in the basement of her Graytown home. There, she created marketing products for companies both locally and around the country.

When she offered her services to help a wounded police officer, her business really took off.

“My husband works as a Toledo police officer, and his partner was shot. He survived, but he had several surgeries,” Reinhart said.

Reinhart sold T-shirts as a fundraiser to help pay the officer’s medical expenses and raised $25,000 overnight. She hosted another fundraiser after Toledo Police Officer Anthony Dia was killed in the line of duty in 2020 and raised $52,000 for his family.

Reinhart realized she had found her calling.

Last October, she stepped away from the corporate world and focused on her side gig — what she calls her lateral gig — so she can offer her marketing and branding expertise to local businesses as well as aid local organizations raising funds for a good cause.

Reinhart moved her four-year-old business, Lateral Gig, to downtown Port Clinton and will host an open house and ribbon cutting on Feb. 22 in conjunction with the Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce. When it opens, Reinhart’s new downtown shop will offer a variety of branding services as well as a retail boutique.

“We do everything in-house. We’re a business service. We do your branding — anything printed with your logo on it, anything that supports your mission,” Reinhart said.

With its screen printing services, Lateral Gig can put logos on shirts in a variety of colors.

“We work with specific Pantone colors. There are hundreds of each color,” Reinhart said. “So when you ask for yellow, we’re going to get more specific. That eliminates a lot of frustration over getting the wrong color.”

Lateral Gig offers engraving services for products such as leather, cups, and candles, and it offers sublimation printing on products like mugs. Embroidery services will be available soon.

In addition to its business branding services, Lateral Gig works with several area organizations on fundraising endeavors.

“We support the Toledo Police Foundation, and we work with a lot of schools with fundraising,” she said.

The retail boutique inside Lateral Gig will offer a variety of imprinted products, including clothing and charcuterie boards, as well as lake items and spirit wear.

“We’ll sell lifestyle items — things you need to get out the door, like hats and mugs,” Reinhart said. “The retail side will give you a taste of what we do. We service boutiques across the U.S., and if it’s on the press, we might as well offer it in-store, too.”

Reinhart is especially focused on promoting local businesses. She is a Port Clinton native whose heart never left home. Current clients include Erie Environmental, CrossFit Port Clinton, Coffee Express and Sloopy’s Pizza.

“My family is the Brands from Brands’ Marina. My grandma is Connie Brand,” she said. “I grew up at the marina.”

Reinhart put her passion to support local right into Lateral Gig’s motto.

“Spreading Local Feels is our motto, and we lead with that,” she said. “We support local businesses and schools by spreading the word and getting their name out there, and we literally spread it on a T-shirt.”

Lateral Gig is at 117 E. 2nd St., Port Clinton. For more information, visit lateralgig.com.

Contact correspondent Sheri Trusty at sheritrusty4@gmail.com.