Founded in the mid 1980s, Fitch Graphics and Design in Middletown, Delaware, was on a roll. Philip Garappolo had taken over the shop from his stepfather in 2016, and after holding steady for several years, the business was showing consistent year-over-year growth.
Phil had expanded some specialties for his full-service shop, including their work providing first responder organizations with vehicle graphics and signage, and identified possible new markets. Now it was time to upgrade their production platform. To do so, Phil chose a Roland DG TrueVIS AP-640 latex printer, and his business upgraded as a result.
We talked with Phil about what factors led him to choose a latex printer, how having two printers has more than doubled his output, and what lies ahead for this enterprising shop.
SBI: First, please give us a little background. What attracted you to running a sign shop?
Phil Garappolo: Fitch Graphics was founded by my stepfather, Vaughan Fitch. After 35 years in the business, he was looking to retire, and I was looking for a career change. I spent a few years learning every aspect of the business from him. Vaughan retired in 2016 and I purchased the business. We stayed very steady for the first few years and then began to see considerable growth year after year. Last year, 2023, was our best year – we saw a 23% increase in overall revenue.
I absolutely love what I do for a living. I take tremendous pride in our work and in the performance of the business as a whole. What initially attracted me to the signmaking industry was the ever-changing jobs and orders that come in. Every day we are doing something different than the day before.
Where are you located?
I run the business from my house. The basement has been converted into a full shop with multiple printers and machinery as well as a 16-foot production table. We are on the outskirts of a large, and quickly expanding town in Delaware. All of our installations are performed on site. I have an apprentice and my children help in the business after school.
Tell us about your shop’s specialties.
We specialize in emergency vehicle graphics and first responder signage needs. This has been our focus since inception. A large portion of our business is also producing and installing graphics for a custom fire house furniture builder, Wall Shields Inc. Additionally, we have many commercial clients with larger fleets. Since purchasing the new printer, we have been able to focus on growing our commercial business, which has added a nice revenue stream for us.
What printer did you start with?
Our Roland DG eco-solvent printer/cutter has been running for 12 years and has been used for much of our EMS work.
What made you consider a latex printer?
We were heading to PRINTING United in Atlanta last year, and I reached out our local dealer, asking what to be on the lookout for. They have always pointed us in the right direction – they’ve been a real asset to our company.
After some discussion, it became evident that a latex printer would fit our needs perfectly. We were impressed by its production speed, the quick drying time, and its overall production quality.
How has the printer performed for you?
The AP is a work horse. We typically set up all of our prints for the day, attach the media to the take-up reel, and hit “print.” We often have it printing for hours.
We use it to print fleet wraps, signage, and graphics. Everything that we print that is non-reflective, weuse it for.
What does printing for first responder organizations require that’s different from the needs of other types of businesses?
Our first responder business is unique in that we are often waiting for a piece of equipment –for example, a firefighting apparatus – to be produced, which can take as long as two or three years. During that time, we get everything in line, including design and production files. Once we receive word that a unit has been delivered, we go into production mode. There are several steps in getting a piece of apparatus “in-service” and we represent a portion of that, so it’s very important that we get things done on time so the unit can go on to the next stage.
Why do you think your clients choose Fitch Graphics and Design?
I like to believe that our clients choose us not only for the expertise and the long history of quality that we have created, but also because we care. Many of my customers are also my close friends. We take great pride in what we do and enjoy reflecting on a substantial body of work completed over the years.
What lies ahead for your shop?
Like any small business, we have revenue goals and growth that we would like to see. We also have goals around regions of coverage and expanding our customer base. First and foremost is maintaining our quality and end-product pride. We strive every day to get better, learn from previous designs and installs, and stay ahead of industry trends. With our new latex printer on board, we have the production power we need to achieve all of these goals.
