“We have to embrace the concept to not be a traditional printer: Now we’re more of a consultant,” said Bernie Wilker, owner of AlphaGraphics of Paramus, N.J. He was speaking of the ever-changing printing industry, as things have certainly transitioned since he and his wife Simone purchased the company in 1996.
AlphaGraphics of Paramus is a full-service printing company with capabilities of design, copy, digital printing, bindery, CD and DVD duplicating, mailing services, and signs, posters and banners. Its business center offers one-stop printing solutions dedicated to serving customers. AlphaGraphics of Paramus’ staff also includes Eric Perrotta, Nick Lombardi, Johan Rojas, Mujahid Khan,Tim Stahl, and Arsenio Zapata.
“(Before I got into printing) I used to be in sheet metal fabrication for 20 years. I started looking for something else because clients were going overseas and to Mexico. I’m a mechanical engineer and was looking for something involving manufacturing and sales. I wanted to do everything myself, and when I walked into franchises like AlphaGraphics and Kinko’s, I thought, ‘I can do this.’ I then went to the AlphaGraphics seminar and training in Tucson, and it turned out that a family in Paramus (who owned one) was looking to retire. The advantage of it was immediate cash flow, but the disadvantage was everyone else in the company knew more than me (about printing) so I had to learn fast,” he remembered.
The Wilkers started their business in a 1,500-sq-ft building in Paramus and moved to a larger building next door after one year of growth. Two years ago, they moved their facility to a 4,000-sq-ft standalone building. “We grow as the industry is changing,” he commented. “When we started the business, everything was done by hard copy: The most important person was the pressman doing his own color separations.”
AlphaGraphics is “ahead of the curve in so many ways,” he said. About nine years ago, the company went direct to plate and eliminated cameras. The Wilkers made their printing transition from analog black and white to digital black and white to digital color. Although offset printing has slowly declined to make up 7 or 8 percent of the business, AlphaGraphics still uses it for master billing for physicians and letterheads.
“This year we’ve gone into online marketing. We do a lot of pURLs and we expanded our mailing capabilities,” explained Wilker. “I’m also on the board of the Greater New Jersey Postal Council. Our company does outdoor signage work and uses eco inks. We’re environmentally conscious and do UV coating and laminating. We’ve also expanded beyond the core of traditional offset printing and do ancillary and promotional items. We’re greatly expanded our services during the last nine years. You have to keep moving,” Wilker noted.
AlphaGraphics has digital presses including Xerox DocuColors, a Xerox Workcentre Pro 40 digital color laser printer, a Xerox Nuvera 120 black-and-white digital laser printer, a Canon ImageRunner and ImageClass, a bookletmaker, and a saddle stitcher.
His definition of a modern day printer in transition is being able to keep business and make money. He stated that during the first quarter of 2009, his AlphaGraphics franchise was ahead of last year’s revenue. He said that hiring their first outside salesperson in December 2008 contributed to the success. “There’s business out there, but it doesn’t come to you—you have to go out on the road to get it,” he pointed out.
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