Staff Photo by John Rawlston/Chattanooga Times Free Press
Justin Goins does screen prep at the Graphic Solutions facility in Hixson.The company prints and manufactures decals, stickers and banners, among other products.• Name: Graphic Solutions
• Location: 4793 Adams Road, just off Hixson Pike
• Products/services: Graphic Solutions is a screen printing company that primarily sells marketing materials used to identify vehicles in the automotive industry. The company helps label and sell tens of thousands of cars per week, and keeps over 1 million decals on hand at any given time.
• Age: Established in 1981, in the garage of founder Jay Simpson
• Employees: 30
• Startup investment: $3,000
• Annual sales: $2 million to $3 million per year
• Target market: The company started selling marketing material to local manufacturers. But as that market diminished, "we've shifted to the automotive industry, and found a niche in that," Simpson said.
• Biggest hurdle: The downturn in the auto market combined with the "cash for clunkers" program took many cars off the road, resulting in lower sales. Banks are now more reluctant to make new loans, so the company is looking for new sources of income beyond the world of autos.
• Biggest reward: Having the reputation as an honest, upfront company builds trust with customers, which is its own reward, Simpson said.
• Challenges in the future: "Overcoming what our government's throwing at us with ObamaCare and taxes," he said.
• Lesson learned: In hindsight, not everything was as much of a crisis as it may have seemed back in the company's early days, Simpson said. "There were bumps in the road, but the sun rises tomorrow."
• Five-year goal: The company is looking to diversify into different markets, said Jay Simpson's son, Bart Simpson. The younger Simpson especially wants to take a more aggressive look at the high-tech market.
• Contact: bsimpson@godecals.net