‘WE WORK FOR YOU’

By John Rhodes

THE SECRET TO COLORCHROME’S SUCCESS IS IN THE RELATIONSHIPS

What’s the reason behind your success? The question is easy to answer, until it isn’t. I always answer with a question: Where do I start? The quality of the work. The products we produce. The customer service we offer. Our people. Our customers. The relationships.

There is so much that goes into everything Colorchrome does every day. Every one of the 70 people we call our family will tell you that. For the past 40 years, we have created a culture that mirrors everything we stand for. And it has been like that from Day One.

I’m not sure there is a better testament than hearing a customer tell us, “We work for you.” That sentiment is ingrained in every relationship we build. We solve problems and we make our customers happy. Do that every time and people will make you part of their team.

The commercial print industry is filled with intensive deadlines and continual change—a landscape where you must remain focused and passionate in every step you take. That strategy must be committed to your DNA and be in the people you hire, the vendors you choose and the work that you do.

Our focus is always going to be on the quality of work we do, the products we produce and the customer service we provide. When our customers bring us their best ideas, we must deliver our best effort—every time. I am proud to say that our default rate is under 1%. That means when we tell our customer we are going to do something, we do it—and we do it right. And in those times when something slides off course, we work together as a team to identify what happened, where and why it won’t happen again.

At the heart of every successful business is a team—from the top, down— that believes in the concept of getting better every single day. Every one of our employees train, teach and cross train. The entire Colorchrome team has a broad base of knowledge—a “next person up” mentality that keeps the momentum pushing forward.

Our customers not only expect that from us, but demand it. Creating, fostering and keeping these relationships rests at the very heart of who and what we are. Always staying ahead of the curve, we are equipped with the most innovative tools and technology, including the latest Latex, UV roll-to-roll and flatbed printers, scanners, finishing and custom framing equipment. And while most printers can offer two to three different ways to print a job, we can recommend 100-plus.

‘The Minolta Man’

My entry into the world of printing started early. The passion was handed down from my father, who gave me a 35mm camera at age 8. Growing into the craft, I ended up becoming one of the official photographers from my high school yearbook. They called me “The Minolta Man.”

By 1974, I was working on and off in a photo lab and part-time as a wedding photographer while attending the University of Georgia. That early experience made me really appreciate the photographic printing industry. It’s what first got me thinking about owning my own business.

After taking a job with Meisel, one of the largest photo labs in the country, I absorbed everything I could about the industry, technology, and large-scale operations. In 1983, my wife, Betty, and I decided to take the leap with Colorchrome. What began as a small photo lab has morphed into one of the largest cutting-edge digital printing companies in the country, serving clients all over the world with the most innovative technologies and customer support to be found anywhere.

Today, our state-of-the-art production facility continues to grow. In the past five years, we have tripled our growth—even amidst the pandemic. Over the next five years, we believe we are on course to double that growth. The family-owned business includes Betty, our CEO, and our son, Christian, COO, and a dedicated and diverse staff who are committed to sharing our vision.

All of us have worked hard to create a culture of quality, teamwork and service. These things combined provide the answer to that initial question: “What’s the reason behind your success?” When you expect to be the best, and walk that walk, the best follows.

For us, that means everything and everyone. It means, “We work for you.”

John Rhodes is co-founder and President of Colorchrome in Norcross, Georgia. Founded in 1983, Colorchrome is known by art consultants, designers, project managers and artists nationwide as the go-to printer and framer for hospitality, museums, corporations, trade shows and events.