Taking the Plunge into Business Ownership

Ever feel like you just need a change? Bernie and Simone Wilker did and they now own a business as a result.

Quick Printing magazine reported that eleven years ago, Bernie was fed up with commuting from Paramus, NJ, to the Bronx every day for his engineering job and began looking for a business where he and his wife could work in together that would be closer to their home. Simone had worked with the AlphaGraphics in Paramus when she needed to buy printing at her previous job, so when they heard it was for sale, they decided to take the plunge.

Though neither Bernie nor Simone knew anything about printing, the business model was appealing to both of them and the AlphaGraphics franchise reps assured them that they would teach them the printing part of the business. They did just that and today, the company's business mix is typical for an AlphaGraphics franchise. It offers digital and offset printing, mailing and fulfillment, and wide-format graphics. Simone says they are also doing a good bit of CD and DVD duplication, and even had an order to produce flash drives for one client. "AlphaGraphics bills itself as your 'Partner in Visual Communications,' but I don't think that really covers it," she observes. "We have to be able to do anything our clients require in order to help them communicate with their clients."

Keeping up with technology can be a challenge, but Simone says it's just part of the game. Because all AlphaGraphics franchisees are required to maintain an ISO certificate, the franchisor requires them to add certain equipment or services when they reach a specific level of development. "That's how we got into mailing services and wide-format printing," Simone says. "Now we not only print, finish, and fold the project, we also mail it," she says.

Bernie and Simone's constant innovation and care for their customers has resulted in a community image and name recognition that goes beyond what advertising alone could have generated. But there is a lot more to it than just a quest for publicity. "I will tell you that we try to maximize our public relations, but the truth is that we feel committed to giving back to the community," she adds. "We were involved in fundraising even before we bought the AlphaGraphics."

Among the causes the couple and their staff have championed are raising money for victims of Hurricane Katrina and for the Giggles Theatre, a Medical Missions for Children program that brings entertainment to children's hospitals. Another project, VisionWalk, which benefits The Foundation Fighting Blindness, had its roots closer to home. The couple's son suffers from a degenerative eye disease for which there is currently no cure. AlphaGraphics acted as a Bronze Sponsor for the VisionWalk and, Simone says, all the employees who participated had a great time. The Wilkers have also sponsored the training of several service dogs for the vision impaired.