Newsletter Archives (July 2010)

TKO Graphix Celebrates 25 Years

TKO Graphix opened its door in October of 1985. At the time, nineteen-year-old Tom Taulman II, TKO President and twenty-year-old Kent Smith, co-founder of TKO, pooled their resources, and with investment from Tom's parents, TKO Enterprises was born.

The first year, Tom and Kent worked diligently to build TKO Graphix into a viable fleet identification graphics business. Their focus then, as now, was on customer service and delivering quality products. With the addition of one part-time employee, TKO ended its first year with nearly 33 percent growth. And they did it again the next year, and the next, and… by the year 2000, when the turbulent economy was the demise of many competitors, TKO Graphix expanded its point-of-purchase offerings. When the economy improved, TKO was positioned to continue its rapid growth in both the fleet and POP graphics industries.

Building upon an outstanding reputation for quality products and customer service, TKO Graphix has become one of the industry's largest and most respected business imaging corporations.

TKO offers customers a full range of graphics services — including graphic design, manufacturing, installation and graphics removal. In 2000, TKO was named a 3M Scotchprint® Graphics Authorized Manufacturer. In 2001, its installers passed rigorous screening to become members of the United Application Standards Group and 3M Certified Installers. In 2004, TKO moved into its custom designed 50,000 square foot facility in Plainfield, Indiana.

Along with other celebrations, TKO is also observing our 25 years with our 25-Year Celebration Sweepstakes. To be entered, go to www.tkographix.com and sign up for our monthly email newsletter, Brandwire. Registrants will automatically be entered to win a $500 Simon Mall gift card.

TKO Graphix would like to thank all of our customers throughout the past 25 years for helping grow our business. More than ever, TKO is committed to providing quality graphics, competitive prices and customer service. We look forward to continuing to be your graphics provider.

TKO Re-brands TruGreen Service Vehicles

TKO Graphix has been contracted by National Lawn Care Specialists, TruGreen to produce and install vehicle graphics for over 6,000 service vehicles throughout the U.S. and Canada. The project includes 221 TruGreen branch locations, and is estimated to take six months to complete. “We have taken great care in the preparation and logistics of this large job. The graphic installation alone requires four phases and up to ten installation crews spread throughout the country,” said Denny Smith, VP of Operations for TKO Graphix.

To accommodate TruGreen's busy summer hours and keep their service vehicles on the road, TKO's installation crews will complete the graphic installations after business hours at each branch location.

Glenn Burris, TKO's National Account Manager for TruGreen, explained — “Preparation, experience and knowledge are the keys to keeping the service vehicles in the field generating income.” Burris continued, “Understanding how the vehicle will be used, how long it will be in service, and what will happen to the vehicle, are critical questions when determining the best materials to apply. According to industry experts, over 100,000 consumers see a service vehicle every day. A vehicle graphic that has faded, frayed, or delaminated, can reflect poorly on the company.”

TruGreen is a member of the ServiceMaster® Family of Brands. The ServiceMaster Company is a Fortune 500 service firm that currently employs over 40,000 people nationwide. ServiceMaster provides service to residential and commercial customers in the United States, where they serve 10.5 million homes and businesses each year.

The Lowest Bid Mistake

I was talking with Gary Meunier, one of our national account managers, about a bid we made to remove graphics from a fleet of vehicles a company was preparing to return at the end of a lease agreement. We did not install the graphics, but we are one of the few companies trained and prepared to properly remove the kind of “bargain price” decals they had purchased. The company was surprised it would cost as much to remove the decals as what they paid to have them installed because a cheaper material with a permanent adhesive had been used. It is difficult, labor intensive and time consuming to remove such materials. Nor did the company know the decals would need to be removed chemically or sanded off. These methods can cause so much surface damage that repainting can become necessary; otherwise, the vehicle's end-of-lease value is compromised. My point is this: take your time and do your research. The lowest bid is not necessarily the best. Also, consider it is just as cost-INEFFECTIVE to use a material rated for five years on a vehicle that will be replaced in two years. Here are some points to consider:

• How will this vehicle be used?
• Is it for promotional purposes?
• Is it daily use or part of a fleet?
• Is the vehicle owned or leased?
• What is the lease agreement/obligations at the end of the lease?
• For how long is the graphic needed?
• What will happen to the vehicles at the end of this time?

Community: TKO's Darlings Place Third in Plainfield Relay For Life

On June 12th and 13th, TKO's team, TKO's Darlings lead by Christine Darling, camped out overnight and took turns walking at the Metropolis shopping complex to raise money and awareness during the American Cancer Society Relay For Life in Plainfield. The event gives everyone in the community a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease.

Christine Darling spearheaded many fund-raisers over several months leading up to the event. Many people donated their time and efforts in helping with “treat of the week” and the TKO cookout luncheon. TKO's president, Tom Taulman II and Yvonne Dunno, a TKO customer service representative, sponsored the luncheon. Tom and Yvonne generously organized the event and donated the food, drinks and supplies along with a local restaurant, The Coachman. The day of the event, the team sold magnets, jewelry and food to raise even more money to support the American Cancer Society's goal. As a result of everyone’s efforts, TKO's Darlings raised $2,698.38 and the event as a whole raised approximately $37,706. As the American Cancer Society states, “Fighting cancer is a team effort. The impact we can make together is much greater than what any of us could do alone.”

The American Cancer Society is a nationwide, community-based, voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.

Newsletter Archives (August 2010)

Ricker's Oil Company Customer Appreciation Week

TKO Graphix was recently hired to produce point-of-purchase materials to help Ricker's Oil Company celebrate their customer appreciation week during August. Ricker's Oil Company has 50 locations throughout Central Indiana and employs over 700. Ricker's is well-known for its “Ricker's Pop” fountain sales, clean stores, and friendly environment and staff.

To promote their Ricker's App and free giveaways such as fountain drinks, iPad's and LCD TV's, TKO produced several pieces such as pump toppers, posters, window clings and reusable graphics. These were personalized with each store's url, then kitted into sets and distributed individually to each store.

West Coast Tacos and TKO Graphix Bite Back

In early July of 2010, West Coast Tacos released a social media blast saying, “Indy, you've been good to us, we want to give back.” Employees of TKO Graphix responded with donations, and an event was born. The Salvation Army Social Service Center $mdash; Emergency Shelter for Women and Children at 540 N. Alabama St. $mdash; was chosen to be the first organization to participate.

West Coast Tacos served 200 tacos on Sunday, July 18th, to bring attention to the Salvation Army Bite Back! Initiative (homelessnessbites.org). TKO Graphix “bought” 500 tacos for future events.

“Man, do the flames on my truck look pink in the daylight?”

Our production manager at TKO Graphix, Tom McClelland, shared a story with me about a customer who was unable to match the existing rear panel of his vehicle wrap on his monster truck. The panel of the truck had been damaged in an accident (what a surprise) and needed replacing. However, when the truck's owner went back to the graphics company, who had manufactured the original decal, they could not match the color even though the decal was less than a year old, not significantly faded, and was a standard color.

The question is, “How could this happen?” The company's printing equipment had not been color-calibrated, and therefore not monitored. Without controlling these processes, colors are inconsistent. The color may be a standard spot color, but if the equipment is not calibrated and monitored daily, the color could vary significantly. Color profiling allows the graphics manufacturer to match a previous print product, like the monster truck. Color calibration requires all equipment to be part of a color-managed workflow. Usually, the control is a Pantone Matching System (PMS). Scanning a control color into the software allows uniformity on all equipment and between equipment. In other words, it will not matter which piece of equipment is used, regardless of inks, materials, or when it is printed. Color profiling also allows colors to match whether it is a vinyl decal, poster, sign or banner. Monitoring color daily and throughout the day will ensure consistency.

Win with TKO's 25-Year Celebration Sweepstakes

TKO Graphix will be celebrating 25 years in the graphics industry in October, 2010. Sign up now for Brandwire and you will be automatically entered into our 25-Year Celebration Sweepstakes to win a $500 gift card for Simon Malls. A random drawing will be held on October 1, 2010.

Exhibiting at NACS

TKO Graphix will be exhibiting at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show on October 5th – 8th. The show will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA. Come visit us in booth #1464.

For more information on the NACS Show, visit nacsonline.com.