In a small downtown space filled with the whoosh of a press, the clack of a pinball machine, and the quiet creativity of ink meeting fabric, a new business is finding its footing and its purpose, right where its roots began.

Goodtime Charlie, a custom screen-printing shop that opened earlier this spring, is more than just a place to order T-shirts. For owners Ash and Lauren Watkins, it’s a reflection of family, faith and a deep love for the community that raised them.

Both graduates of West Liberty-Salem, Ash, class of 2001, and Lauren, class of 2003, have known each other most of their lives — riding the same school bus as children before their story truly began in high school.

“We met in summer gym my freshman year,” Lauren said with a laugh. “He asked me out that fall, sometime after band camp.”

The pair have been together ever since.

Now, about two decades after graduating — and following years of building careers and raising their family — the couple has returned to West Liberty with a shared vision: to invest in the place that shaped them.

“This town has always been a big part of our lives,” Ash said. “We didn’t want to build something somewhere else.”

Ash officially began renting the storefront March 1, spending several weeks transforming the space at 103 W. Baird St., West Liberty, before opening in early April. While a formal ribbon cutting is still to come, the shop has already begun to make its mark.

“Small businesses are what this town thrives on; we want to be part of that,” the couple shared.