 Technology Vital To Vision Graphics' Growth 
An electronic newsletter may seem like a departure for a printing company, but it's an ideal solution for Vision Graphics Inc. Elements, the company's eNewsletter, provides a very timely way to communicate changes and new services to clients, says President and CEO Mark Steputis, age 45. "For some of our clients, their printing needs are not weekly or monthly, and this gives us the ability to economically stay in touch," he says. Elements also provides more functionality than a printed piece. It includes handy links to the company's Web site, clients and manufacturers. "We're trying to develop the newsletter as a valuable resource (for our customers and prospects)," Steputis explains. "With a printed piece, we can't do all of those things." Besides the benefits of timeliness and functionality, an eNewsletter is easier to create than a printed piece — especially with professionals like Proven Systems handling the job, Steputis says. When the company was producing a printed newsletter in house, clients' work always came first — and the publication often wound up on the back burner. But with the eNewsletter, Proven Systems handles all the details and keeps everyone on track throughout the entire process. "They make us get it done," he explains. Technology Vital To Continued Growth
Having an electronic newsletter is an important part of Vision Graphics' strategy to leverage technology to continually expand beyond traditional printing services. Over the years, Vision Graphics will come to be considered a marketing communications company, Steputis says. "Our real job with our customers is to help them with their marketing communications," he adds. Elements is just one example of how Vision Graphics is capitalizing on the latest technology. Recently, the company installed a $120,000 EcoClean solvent recycling system that allows for the recovery and even reuse of solvents that are used to clean the presses. Vision Graphics is the first in the state — and one of the first in the U.S. — to invest in the EcoClean system from Technotrans. The company also recently purchased a new Man Roland 506 LUV press, a six-color, sheet-fed press with inline coating and hybrid UV printing capability. The machine, which cost more than $1 million, allows for printing on Mylar (polyester film), plastic and a variety of other surfaces. The Man Roland 506 LUV is the fastest sheet-fed press on the market, and Vision Graphics is only the second company in the U.S. to own one. Modest Beginnings
Vision Graphics' inclination toward technology started in 1952, when Francis Brooks — Steputis' uncle — opened an employment agency in a small third-floor office in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Because the agency had the only copy machine in town, it quickly received a steady stream of copy orders from other businesses. The employment firm naturally evolved to a mimeograph and mailing service and then, ultimately, a commercial print shop. Steputis joined the company 18 years ago. Then, it was a $1-million-a-year printing company with two presses and an average order of $400. In an effort to grow the company, he and his uncle made a bold move: In 1991, they invested in an $855,000 Heidelberg four-color press. "That was a big commitment and it wasn't easy," Steputis recalls. "But we made it through. And by doing that, it allowed us to offer services that fewer companies were competing for." Today, Vision Graphics is one of the largest digital imaging and sheet-fed printing services in Northern Colorado. The company's operations include a 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art printing facility in Loveland, just one hour north of the heart of Denver. Customer Satisfaction The Best Award of All
Over the years, Vision Graphics has received a number of honors and achievement awards. For example, American Printer magazine ranked the company 10th nationally in its "Top 50 Fastest Growing Printing Companies" during 1997-1999. Vision Graphics experienced a sales growth of 129 percent from 1997-1999 — up from 94 percent in 1996-1998. Vision Graphics has also earned major recognition for its commitment to print quality and excellence. It received fourteen 2002 Pride Awards from the Printing and Imaging Association, Mountain States organization, plus Gold (2002) and Silver (2000 and 2001) Quality Awards from the Packaging Corporation of America. But of all the awards Vision Graphics has garnered, the company is most proud of the satisfaction clients express on an everyday basis. "Pats on the back from customers mean a lot," Steputis says. Steputis attributes Vision Graphics' success to its commitment to quality, turnaround and expertise. Every day, the company makes a conscious effort to perform at a higher level. "Our services get better. Our quality gets better. Our margins get better. And people get happier," Steputis explains. "I'm trying to build a company where all of my competition's employees wish they could work — and where all of my competition's customers wish their jobs were being done." For more information about Vision Graphics, contact Mark Steputis at 970-613-0608 or visit www.visiongraphics-inc.com. | 
