SJC Custom Drums is built on a lifelong passion for music. At the age of 9, SJC co-founder Mike Ciprari got his first set of drums for Christmas, and soon, he and his brother Scott were doing more than just playing them—they were making their own. 

“SJC was born out of the hobby of finding used drums, taking them apart, and making them look cool,” Mike says. “When we formed the business in 2000, we were just kids. We were going into a [major music festival]…trying to meet bands backstage, and we ended up making a drum set for [a popular rock band.]” Constructed in their grandma’s basement, the drum set ended up on a globally broadcast music awards show with the band the next year. “That got us in front of so many people,” says Mike. 

Now, as a winner of the 2023 FedEx^® Small Business Grant program, SJC is looking forward to continually growing their business, as well as their marketing, and, most importantly to Mike, to keep giving back. “However we can boost up the younger kids to follow their dreams, and be in the music industry, and keep creating,” he says, “I’m all for it.”

For Mike, this passion for sharing what he loves has always been crucial to his success as an entrepreneur, whether it’s building his own brand or connecting with others about their own experiences. “If you have an idea, go create it,” he says, “You have to go for it.”