Leading Vancouver digital imaging company, PacBlue Digital Imaging is undergoing a phenomenal growth surge and is poised to expand its advanced services further with a major purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, an expansion of its facilities and new satellite locations.
Signs of impressive growth are everywhere at PacBlue's facilities. Armed with an increasing arsenal of leading-edge reprographic and imaging equipment, PacBlue's skilled employees print and ship over a million square feet of plans per month for a myriad of Lower Mainland construction projects as quickly as the city's architects and engineers can envision them.
Dazzling examples of PacBlue's vivid colour printing adorn its walls, showcasing the amazing range of big, vibrant images the company can print on practically any surface its clients require.
PacBlue has deep roots in Vancouver. Over the past 60 years, PacBlue has evolved from a small blueprinting shop into the state-of-the-art digital production facility it is today. Jonathan and Carol Colley bought Pacific Blueprinting in 1993 and over the past 13 years have grown the company from 7 employees to over 80. Their customer base has expanded to include an impressive roster of clients spanning diverse businesses and industries throughout the greater Vancouver area.
"PacBlue has thrived by embracing the technological changes that have so drastically impacted the reprographic industry over the past decade," says PacBlue president Jonathan Colley. Though it cost him many sleepless nights, the changes brought on by digital print technology presented challenges as well as opportunities to grow. "As long as we are on the leading edge we will continue to move forward and be successful," says Colley.
PacBlue has diversified its business from traditional blueprinting to become a leading provider of digital services and products that include brilliant colour signage, promotional materials and commercial printing. Its latest investments in advanced equipment promise to extend this lead further.
Among its latest acquisitions is a UV flatbed printer capable of printing directly onto traditional mounting materials like plastic, wood, metal, sintra, fomecore, gatorboard and practically any smooth material up to five feet wide by ten feet long and up to two inches thick. It can print an image on a door with an outdoor print life of up to three years.
Adding to PacBlue's reputation as a leader in producing large format graphics, the company recently added a Grand format solvent printer that can print double-sided images to a width of ten and a half feet, more than doubling its output width capabilities. Capable of printing on a wide-range of materials like vinyl, fabric, mesh and backlit, the printer is able to print large banners and signage in minutes, allowing PacBlue to print larger runs more efficiently and cost effectively than before.
Responding to an increasing demand for higher volume and higher quality work in larger formats, PacBlue has also invested in a mid-size digital offset press that will allow it to offer clients an even greater range of digital printing possibilities. The 20 x 29-inch press produces environmentally friendly, high quality waterless printing that reduces toxic runoff and wasted paper.
Housing this new equipment required space so PacBlue has added to its current 16,000 square foot location. It has purchased and renovated a building behind its current premises and will host a showcase this fall highlighting its new equipment and capabilities.
Reacting to the incredible pace of construction in Vancouver and the accompanying traffic snarls, PacBlue has opened two "Architectural Specs And Plans" (ASAP) satellite offices in downtown Vancouver and Richmond. These ASAP locations will allow PacBlue to provide faster service and convenient access to the concentration of major architectural and engineering firms there. PacBlue plans to open more ASAP satellite offices in strategic locations around the lower mainland in the near future.
"Our industry is known for its tight deadlines" says Colley, "Our customers rely on us for quick turnarounds and it is not just our job to provide the printing, but to also give them peace of mind that their deadlines will be met.
" While proud of its expansion PacBlue's Grand FutureDigital printing goes above and beyond traditional boundariesand multimillion dollar investment in advanced equipment, PacBlue also recognizes the key to its success is the company's growing force of highly skilled people. "I have always believed that our most important resource at PacBlue is our staff. We have assembled a remarkable team of people who create a very unique and happy work environment," says Colley.
"PacBlue recently launched a company-wide program that recognizes the importance of customer service and communications to its business," says Karen Fox, PacBlue's Sales and Marketing Manager. PacBlue's "four key points for success" philosophy empowers its employees to better serve clients, boosting efficiency and customer satisfaction. The philosophy will spread PacBlue's highly engaged and personal management style throughout the company during its rapid growth.
An example of this emphasis on customer service is the addition of a receptionist to replace an automated telephone system in order to provide a personal connection. "The benefit is already being felt by our customers," says Fox.
Colley says PacBlue is committed to partnering with its customers and sharing the technical expertise it has developed. "We do this by offering our clients seminars on colour management and electronic document management systems. This ensures that we all have the same level of understanding and enables better communication and ultimately a better product.
"Colley and Fox agree it is difficult to convey to customers the amazing range of PacBlue's services and products. They say the best way to appreciate what PacBlue has to offer is to take a tour of its facilities because seeing is believing. The common response of customers is "Wow!" and "I didn't know you did that!" When we walk a client through our offices and they interact with our staff, they get to experience the posi-tive and fun environment created by the PacBlue team," says Fox.
One visiting customer was so impressed, he asked for a job because he said he loved the feeling and culture at PacBlue. Colley said, "That gave me great satisfaction. When people from outside, unsolicited, come for-ward and make a comment like that, I know I'm doing some-thing right.
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