Tucson Print Shop Transforms and Prospers

TUCSON, Ariz. – All is not doom and gloom in Tucson’s economy, at least not for one risk taker with vision. CP Graphics, the Tucson-based print shop-turned-marketing asset management company, grew revenues by more than 30% year over year in 2011, announced president Jake Walker. It’s not a bad record considering that at the end of 2010, when the young Tucson entrepreneur led the acquisition of the 25-year-old print shop then known as City Press, he knew very little about the printing business. As it turns out, that was a good thing.

With or without a bad economy, Walker knew the future looked dim for local print shops relying solely on a traditional ink, paper and press model. As the world continues to shift to electronic communications and web-based applications, print shops – like publishers and paper companies – are among the many businesses that have to change their tune or go flat.

Nationwide, the number of print shops in business today is half what it was in the 1990s, according to the National Association of Printing Leadership. Not surprisingly, business brokers in Tucson and Phoenix have dozens of print shops listed for sale. Once ranked among the top grossing print shops in Tucson by Inside Tucson Business, City Press peaked in the late 1990s. Former owners Phil and Pam Wilber were eager to stay actively involved in the business they opened in 1983, and Walker was eager to have them.

“Pam and Phil’s involvement is critical to the success we’re experiencing,” Walker said. “We’re leveraging their experience and applying it to a whole new business model.”

Rebranding the company as CP Graphics, Walker set out to reinvent the business. While CP Graphics continues to offer printing – specializing in both digital, short-run, quick-turn projects and off-set commercial printing – the company’s major thrust is as a marketing partner to national and regional companies based in and out of Tucson.

“We’re tailoring our services to the future of this industry, which means automating the marketing supply chain and consolidating services once performed by multiple parties into a one-stop shop,” Walker explained.

Today, CP Graphics offers a suite of services including graphic design, web design, print and mail services, warehousing and fulfillment and dedicated account management. Now, a national brand can partner with CP Graphics to develop web-to-print and print-on-demand solutions as well as execute strategic marketing plans without necessarily hiring in-house marketing staff or agencies.

According to Walker, investments in talent and technology are driving CP Graphics success, with the emphasis on people.

“We are committed to being an employer of choice and are constantly recruiting to keep up with demand for our expanding services,” Walker said.

CP Graphics currently employs 25 people of diverse business backgrounds. The company provides excellent benefits and training.  

Reflecting the vibrant young brand and expanded service capabilities, a new website, printcpg.com, launched earlier this month, prominently featuring the company’s most important asset, its people. For more information, call 1-877-742-0707.
 

Contact Information

Jake Walker

President

CP Graphics

(1) 1-877-742-0707

jake@printcpg.com