When Weiser Litho opened in Westlake Village in 1987, it faced stiff competition: Within a two-square-mile radius were 13 other print shops. Owner Paula Weiser and her former partner (and ex-husband) began by printing fliers for pizza parlors and doing other small jobs. For the first few years, business grew slowly. Then in 1996, five years after buying out her ex-husband’s stake in the business, Weiser decided something had to change. She went where most other printers hadn’t gone before adding a design department that allowed the company to handle everything from ad conception to printed product. That led to a quick jump in revenue and a steady stream of design work. Revenue has grown from $1.2 million in 1996 to $2 million in 1999. And Weiser estimates that a full 50 percent of her clients now use the design department. “I saw a niche not being filled at all, no one was even tapping it,” Weiser said. “The print (job) is a given, we’re going to get (that work). But now people are coming in for the design.” Weiser hired three designers to start the department. At first, customers were unsure about handing off their advertising tasks to the newcomer. “There was a level of skepticism,” said creative director Tom Nance. “Then we knocked their socks off.” Weiser and Nance decided to promote the design unit as a way to attract clients to the printing business. They entered design competitions in Ventura County to build credentials and even started their own ad campaign for Weiser Litho. It paid off, with the firm winning 14 awards in the Ventura County Advertising Federation Addy Awards in 1999. In the beginning One of the company’s first design clients was Rick Lemmo, vice president of corporate communications for Caruso Affiliated Holdings. Lemmo began working with Weiser in 1997 when he was at a radio station. “I liked the idea of having everything done in one shop, and that they know their limitations or lack of limitations (in print work),” Lemmo said. “There are a lot of wonderful ad agencies in Ventura County. But the thing with an ad agency is, once you have the design, it’s handed to the printer. With Weiser, it’s their baby.” The design department often creates ads and fliers from scratch. “We want clients to come in and say, ‘We have nothing more than a napkin drawing and the product,'” Weiser said. At times, Weiser Litho also reviews work done by other agencies to make sure it fits the client’s needs. Weiser believes clients find it easy to use the in-house designers because they are in sync with the printers and can quickly go back and forth to make sure the design is what the client wants. While the design functions have boosted business, Weiser said focusing on customer service has helped retain clients. “Quality printing is a given in this industry,” Weiser said. “What makes us different is our customer service and design department.” For example, calls are returned as quickly as possible. Same-day quotes are offered on jobs, and thank-you notes are sent when a job is completed. “We make it overkill with follow-ups,” Weiser said. Awaiting new press Weiser Litho was housed in a 1,500-square-foot space in the early 1990s, but moved to a 7,600-square-foot office to handle growth. In the process, it has added more and more printing equipment to handle larger jobs. In April, it will christen a new $1.1 million press. Weiser now has ongoing contracts with some of the top companies in the Conejo Valley area, including JVC, Landmark Theatres and Amgen. Though she still works just as much with small clients and even home-based businesses, things have changed dramatically since the company was started in 1987. Weiser, a former dance teacher, said she reluctantly entered the printing business but soon found it offered a new creative challenge. The company started under the name American Speedy Printing and in the beginning was a two-person operation, with Weiser handling sales calls and her former partner handling the printing. “It was a typical mom-and-pop shop,” said Weiser. Business grew by word of mouth while she pursued a conservative growth strategy. But that doesn’t mean she’s not focused on beating the competition. “We want to create a niche for ourselves that makes us different in our clients’ minds,” she said. “Every day I ask myself, ‘What did I do to beat the competition today?'” SPOTLIGHT Weiser Litho Year Founded: 1987 Revenue in 1996: $1.2 million Revenue in 1999: $2 million Employees in 1996: 9 Employees in 1999: 19 Core Business: Printing and design Goal: To build a reputation for design as a way to drive printing business
WEISER LITHO–facing a host of competition in its core business,weiser litho took off by branching into ad design
