I have enjoyed just about everything I have had the opportunity to do professionally. That was true of my very first job in high school, as a salesperson at
Sears in
Alhambra, CA, my last corporate job at
Cox Enterprises, and steps in between. However, all prior experiences but one involved thought or service work. I worked one summer while in college in the business my dad worked at building metal office furniture. I
hated that job while appreciating what my dad did for our family. And until I became an
AlphaGraphics owner, that was the only manufacturing experience I had had.
The production of printed items and signs requires big machinery. I am not mechanically inclined, but I appreciate the engineering skills and electronics know-how that goes into making these machine. It is impressive to see a piece of blank substrate (piece of card paper or banner material, for instance), go in one way and come out with all sorts of great graphics. I call the equipment “big toys,” and most of my folks love them. I really appreciate that they can wield them expertly to manufacture items that meet our Clients’ needs.
The big toys at my
Tri-Cities - Atlanta Airport location are particularly awesome. From a roll-to-roll billboard printer that’s the size of a small van to a 10’ flat-bed printer that occupies a small room, we can produce some truly big signs. Alas, the flat-bed printer is old, and its useful life is nearing an end. Fortunately, I just got two new big toys to replace it. This afternoon, we welcomed to our Center an
HP FB700 and an
HP FB750. Sitting side by side, these machines look hulking, impressive. It will take a couple of days to get them running, and then we’ll see what they can do for our Clients!