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'Little' Henrico Company Leaves Big Mark

At first glance, the Washington Nationals, Captain D's, Times Square, the Mariners Museum and the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport might not appear to have much in common.



But all share a common thread – one that weaves right down Nuckols Road to a small commercial printing firm in western Henrico.



Graphics Gallery , now celebrating its 20th anniversary, has produced custom, oversized graphics for the Nationals' new stadium, Times Square displays and restaurant, airport and museum interiors that include The Smithsonian Institute, National Archives, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and Library of Congress. Specializing in oversize print jobs and large-format graphics of all kinds, the Gallery also produces vehicle wraps, wall-sized art and banners (such as the ones that decorated the National Folk Festival) and room-filling displays for trade shows.



So how did "this little Richmond company," as CEO Steve Samuel likes to call it, beat out big-time graphics companies to win gigs in Manhattan and with the Nats?



At an open house held May 6, Samuel led crowds on tours of his Glen Allen showroom and production facility and provided a glimpse into the reasons for the Gallery's success.



The "wow factor," as Samuel dubbed it, is produced by such state-of-the-art equipment as a Matrix frame saw, textile printer, fabric image setter, and digital router.



Gesturing toward the router, Samuel said, "We call this machine the ultimate Swiss army knife. It's the cutting that sets us apart – and with this we can cut anything but glass and granite." Scattered around the room, he pointed out, were examples of a router product: colorful butterflies used in a Smithsonian exhibit.



At another stop on the tour, Samuel indicated the Matrix, and described the frame and fabric used to transform a couple of Ntelos stores – which then happened to be visited by the company CEO. Now, said Samuel, "Ntelos likes this fabric so much, they've rolled it out in all their locations."



But while cutting-edge equipment and three-dimensional "wow factor" certainly contribute to the Gallery's success, they are not the whole story. The opportunity to decorate the interior of the Nats' stadium – from graphic panels in skyboxes and restaurants, to a baseball-card collage and wall mural in the foyer – came through a third party familiar with Graphics Gallery's museum work and reputation for reliability.



"We have never missed a deadline for a museum," said Samuel. "Museum patrons put up lots of money, and they want [openings] to go off without a hitch."



Bart Levy of Strategy by Design , a marketing and graphic design firm based in Bon Air, can attest to the company's reputation for dependability. Levy, who works with general manager Andy Phillips on her trade show displays, said that a casual conversation she once had with Phillips stuck in her mind, and impressed her as much as the Gallery's products.



"Andy said," Levy recalled, "that he appreciated being able to work for a company where everything is top quality, because you never have to apologize to a customer."



As marketing director for Captain D's, Jennifer Ford has known Samuel for a decade; his firm has produced much of the food art that decorates the inside of area restaurants. While Ford said Samuel has an artist's eye and a "flair for print," she cited innovative methods as another secret of his success.



"Steve is such a visionary," said Ford. "He is always looking for the newest, biggest and best."



Samuel agreed that growth, expansion and introducing new products are always on his mind – even in today's tough economy. Taking calculated risks and staying a step ahead of the competition are necessities in a business built on rapidly-changing technology.



Graphics Gallery got its start, after all, as a typesetting business – and had to shift its focus more than once to survive.



But in the end, Samuel summed up, "It's reliability that sets us apart."

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