5Two years ago, fledgling Grand Rapids printer
Crop Marks began in a 900-square-foot storefront with just two people on staff. Now the print, design and signage shop has relocated to a 10,000-square-foot renovated furniture warehouse where the company's seven employees have some breathing room.
The new location at 128 Coldbrook NE is just a few blocks from the first location, but miles away from the environment where the only storage space was offsite in the owners' garages and barns, says company partner Russ Colter. Colter, his brother Ben, Mike DeRuiter and Chris Vroma own Crop Marks, and have plans for adding possibly another seven employees this year.
"We're lucky enough to have a nice federal government contract and should be expanding the project this year," Russ Colter says. "We could potentially double staff in the coming year and will be looking for a few experienced printers, plus some people for light industrial assembly work."
Crop Marks designs, creates, packages and fulfills orders for clients needing anything from post cards and promotional materials to signage and user manuals. Some examples of their work include the Salvation Army's Angel Tree tags and bell ringer signage, as well as fulfilling the printing needs of convention and tradeshow participants who come to DeVos Convention Center.
"We are not a press shop. We are a digital shop that can help our clients find the most environmentally-friendly toners and recycled content paper," Colter says. "We partner with several true press shops in the area. Too often, it seems that people have headaches when they go see their printers. One of the things we love to hear from our customers is 'that was too easy.'"
Source: Russ Colter, Crop Marks, Inc.
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor
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