CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – During a military career that began in 1985, until his retirement 20 years later, Nick Gonzalez served the nation and the Army. Today, he still serves soldiers, their families and the community with his business, CNG Embroidery & Engraving.

Gonzalez arrived at Fort Campbell in 1998 and served in the field artillery, infantry, aviation and communications, until his retirement as a first sergeant in 2005. He continues to work as a contractor at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital.

Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
An item on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Nick Gonzalez, Cindy Gonzalez, and Amanda Herner, at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
CNG Embroidery & Engraving at 2115 Trenton Road on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
A work area at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Items on display at CNG Embroidery & Engraving on, Jan. 12, 2023. (Lee Erwin)

The name of the business, CNG, comes from the first letter of his wife’s name, Cindy, his name, Nick, and their last name, Gonzalez. The pair are joined in their work at CNG by their associate Amanda Herner.

When it comes to embroidery and engraving, Gonzalez said he had never done that kind of work before, but when he married Cindy 11 years ago, he said, she was the crafty one, and they began etching glass coffee mugs in their home. That was in 2014, and it all grew from there.

“We got an embroidery machine, and an engraving machine, and all the work got too big for our house, so we had to find somewhere to go,” Gonzalez said. He said a friend of his owned the engraving shop on Trenton Road and was retiring, so he and his wife decided to move in take it over in 2019.

“With our embroidery we do shirts for the military, embroider their unit insignias on. We also have a lot of businesses, and a lot of partners, so we do kind of everything. Whatever their need is they come in and let us know, and we get them ready for them, and out the door they go,” Cindy Gonzalez said.

Cindy Gonzalez said the engraving is normally customized with the units at Fort Campbell. “Each unit has something that they like and sometimes we expand on it and other times we do the same thing again.”

She added they also do a lot of sports uniforms for local ball teams.

“We are here for our military, we’re here for the fire department, the police department, schools, and other small businesses. We’d like for them to stop by and see what we have and what we can make for them,” Nick Gonzalez said.

CNG Embroidery and Engraving is at 2115 Trenton Road, and they are open Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, by appointment.

Find out more by visiting cngembroidery.com, go to cngembroidery.com on Facebook, email cngembroidery@gmail.com, or call 931-542-2222.

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