Lasting Imprint

Instead of retiring, veteran of the printing business moves on to build a high-end, state-of-the-art commercial shop.

By ANTHONY PALAZZO

Staff Reporter

When John Zamora retired after three decades in the commercial printing business, he was at the top of his game.

During two stints at George Rice & Sons in Los Angeles, Zamora was the top salesman 16 times. As executive vice president of sales, he led a turnaround that brought the company to record revenues. And he had a net worth of $15 million.

But Zamora wasn’t content to quit.

“I have ink in my blood, I love the sound of the press. I’ve been a salesman my whole life,” said Zamora, who had never owned his own shop and felt he had something to prove. “Instead of retiring, I worked to fulfill a dream in building a facility that I always thought should exist.”

New Presses

Graphic Press in Commerce is the embodiment of that dream. Located in a former garment factory, Zamora built a 112,000 square foot facility with state-of-the-art presses from Heidelberg, the BMW of printing equipment. There are four sheet-fed lines capable of printing 11 colors on a page, and two Web presses, fed by huge rolls of paper, for handling big jobs. Craftsmen glide around over a spotless, polished-concrete floor with none of the typical print-shop mess.

“If the facility is clean, the craftsmen are clean, the work comes out the same way,” said Zamora, whose father was a printer and whose children are interested in the business.

Zamora plunked down $5 million of his own money and convinced Heidelberg to finance $40 million in equipment the largest financing the German press manufacturer has ever staked on an individual.

In creating Graphic Press, Zamora has resurrected the name of the once-dominant L.A. shop where he began his printing career in 1967 and remained until it closed in 1981. Drawing on relationships built over three decades, he recruited veteran managers, press operators and sales crews. Jim Collins, a former George Rice & Sons partner, became president and part-owner, with a $1 million investment.

At Graphic Press, which specializes in high-end work such as automobile brochures, financial reports and catalogues, jobs can run into the millions of dollars. Presses run around the clock. Zamora provides clients with “apartments” overlooking the press room floor. Through plate-glass windows, they can observe print runs while working from a number of offices, lounges or a business center similar to those found in hotels. There is even a playroom, with pinball and other arcade games.

“The printing business is 24/7, so you have to make it as convenient and as comfortable as possible,” said Zamora.

Clients attest to the results. “You spend a lot of time waiting,” said Vicky Herzog, senior vice president and group director of print production for Lowe Lintas & Partners Worldwide in New York. On a recent night, she was the facility until 5:30 a.m. supervising the production of a 36-page catalog for client General Motors Corp. “I spent all of last summer at another shop, sitting on a couch watching Comedy Central,” she said.

Revenue shortfall

Graphic Press is by no means a sure thing. While the company generated revenues of $35 million in 2001 a strong showing for a start-up it was $5 million below plan. The post-Sept. 11 economic slowdown played a role; after posting record billings in August, Graphic Press won’t surpass that month until January (projected to be a $4.7 million month).

Zamora has had to put another $4 million into the business earlier than he expected to and there are plans to raise an additional $3 million to $9 million in private equity to see it through its first five years.

One key to breaking into new accounts has been Zamora’s minority-owned status (by virtue of a grandfather born in Mexico). This helped him get a foot in the door with major customers such as GM and Ford Motor Co. Ford, in fact, placed Graphic Press on its list of eight premier print shops who are eligible to bid on about $78 million of high-end work per year.

With the Ford work, Graphic Press is expected to hit $61 million in revenue this year, Zamora said. If it meets its goal, he said, the firm will be modestly profitable.

PROFILE:


Graphic Press

Year Founded: 2000

Core Business: High-end graphic printing.

Revenues in 2000: $15 million

Revenues in 2001: $35 million

Employees in 2000: 125

Employees in 2001: 195

Goal: To become a $100 million, privately owned high-end print shop.

Driving Force: Continuing a family tradition in printing.