| BIG GRAPHICS
Big Graphics Builds A Big Business Bob Williams always thought big, so when his company, Portland-based Big Graphics, boomed onto the scene in 1996 and quickly became one the West Coast's leading suppliers of large-format printing, no one who knew him was the least bit surprised. Big Graphics is Williams' second big success, success he credits to his early and continuing fascination with computers, technology, and publishing. Recognized as an innovative entrepreneur with a talent for marketing, Williams traces his intrigue with computers back to the earliest days of Apple. Williams was among first to recognize the need for easy-to-understand teaching materials for personal computer users; in 1981, he founded MIS:PRESS, the highly-successful Portland-based computer book publishing firm credited with inventing the concept of computer software tutorials. His first book, a keystroke-by-keystroke "how-to" titled The Power of Visicalc, was a huge best seller and Williams parlayed that book into a multi-million dollar publishing company. In 1991, Williams sold the MIS:PRESS to Henry Holt, Publishing Inc. of New York and retired from the publishing business. In the mid 1990's, Williams fascination with computers and printing took a new turn when he visited a local service bureau and saw one of the early large-scale electrostatic color output devises. Realizing that large-scale digital color graphic would transform the way creative people approached everything from trade show exhibits to outdoor signs and banners to point of purchase displays, Williams bought his first machine in 1996 and opened Big Graphics in an 1,800-square-foot location. In less than a year, Big Graphics' success necessitated a move to a 4000 square-foot production space and installation of 4 inkjet printers. Again, in less than a year, success mandated another move to 20,000 square feet and an additional eight additional inkjet printers, a Light Jet 5000 photographic Printer, and complete large format digital screen printing facilities. This spring, the company moved into its own 50,000-square-foot plant located in the heart of Portland's bustling industrial district and installed the first high-speed six-color in-line screen printing press capable of producing 38" x 50" prints as well as Portland's only lenticular imaging equipment. "Big Graphics's expansion" says Williams, "has been focused on giving clients a complete spectrum of products and services. Producing top quality products, delivering on time and on budget, and giving customers the service and value they deserve are a given in this business." "It's a big job," smiles Williams, "but somebody has to do it!" KINDRED COMMUNICATIONS Kindred Communications: High-Tech Style Communications - in public relations, marketing materials and such - has always been a mainstay for Kindred Communications. In fact, since Doreen Kindred founded the Bellevue-based company in 1990, the art of communicating has fueled the company's growth from a single-person specialty firm to a seventy-plus employee, fully integrated company providing Web-based solutions and strategic communications for clients like Microsoft, Tommy Bahama, RealLegal.com, Briazz and Expedia. "I think part of what's made us so successful," said Kindred, "is that we've found a way of integrating style, real style, and technology together. Quite often a company enters the arena of Internet marketing out of necessity...we've got a team that takes that process and makes a statement that's true to the client's image and market." Earlier in the year, Kindred Communications formed a strategic partnership with CobWeb Inc., an e-commerce application service provider and creator of E-$torefront, to expand their capabilities even further. Their target? Fortune 1000 clients. "The partnering of Kindred and CobWeb allowed both companies to provide truly complete Web and e-commerce solutions to clients," said Kindred. "Our expertise in customized Web development, marketing and design/branding (are) greatly enhanced when combined with CobWeb's robust back-end e-commerce functionality." The growing company - which had sales of $6.6 million in 1999 - tackles client projects from initial marketing concept to actual B2B sales, from press kits to a fully functioning (read: sales or lead producing) online merchandising site. So what does the Northwest native and corporate CEO see happening next for Kindred Communications? "More growth," laughs Kindred, "more employees and, hopefully, more happy, successful clients." AD SERVICES Ad Services, Inc. launches Online Pre-Press e-services The printing industry’s direct-to-plate technology isn’t eliminating pre-press, just opening up new opportunities for savvy pre-press shops, like Seattle’s Ad Services, Inc. Ad Services recently launched an online system that offers its pre-press services to advertisers and publishers digitally via its Web site—www.adservices.com. The new technology, “e-services from adservices.com,” is an online ad preparation management and transmission utility that allows Ad Services’ clients to process orders, track the status of projects, proof ads remotely, and confirm pricing and shipping information—all via the Internet. “Seattle ad agencies have been using it for several months now,” says Jenny Morelli, General Manager. “The response has been extremely positive—clients are thrilled that a vendor actually listens to their needs.” In fact, the new service was born from a customer focus group, which revealed that agencies wanted an instant way to track the status of their orders. There are two levels of e-services, Gold Express and Platinum Plus. Independent designers, who need the pre-press service, but are shipping the job out to the publication themselves, typically use the Gold Express service. The Platinum Plus service is more often used by ad agencies that might have more than 40 insertions for one ad. “In this case, the client has a blanket P.O.,” says Plant Manager Graeme Scott, “and provides us the file, and the list of the publications. We engineer those jobs, ensuring that we meet each pub’s specifications.” The ads are sent via AdSend, or FedEx, all of which can be tracked by the client via Ad Services’ Web site. |