The first thing to realize about Buzz Graphics in Ogden, Utah is that they are a fusion of large format printing and marketing, with a focus on graphics and conceptual work. They’ll also do offset printing (if requested) and have even expanded into Web design for clients.
Buzz Graphics handles the design, production, and installation of vehicle graphics (lettering jobs, partial wraps, full wraps, etc.), yet its on-staff designers are the “heart and soul” of the business and have influenced their ability to create logos, develop company branding, and offer Web site design and maintenance. “We’ll also do ad-type work for a lot of our customers,” says Rich Whitemyer, art director at Buzz Graphics. “We’ve filled the gap between what a normal sign shop traditionally offers and what you’d get if you paid big bucks at an ad agency.”
Even though Buzz Graphics has been around since 2007, Rich was a designer in the industry ten years prior. “Wraps are a big deal here in Utah, and it looked like fun. I figured I knew it all, so I bought a printer and decided to start my own wrap business,” he laughs.
Whitemyer intended Buzz Graphics to be a one-person boutique shop focusing only on select vehicle wraps. However when the economy went south, he realized his shop had to diversify its offerings.
This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. “We’re now a full-service large format shop. We’ve added more designers and installers to our staff over the years,” he says. (Note: Rich’s father, Rick, is the president of the company and is responsible for operations management and copy writing.)
While Rich Whitemyer is “officially” the art director, thanks to his background, he can find himself working on many different aspects of a project. “One of the nice things about starting out as a one-man business is that I can still pretty much fit in anywhere I need to be,” he says. “I help the designer, but if it’s a complicated project, I can also help the installer.”
The company’s clients range from multi-million-dollar businesses to bakeries to universities. “We’re working with about eighty different colleges right now doing the marketing for their book stores,” remarks Whitemyer.
Yet Whitemyer feels that their traditional customer is like his shop looking in the mirror—the smaller owner-run business. “We’ll clean up their branding a bit and then apply it to a couple of different marketing pieces for them,” he says. “We’ll put together a graphics package and get them ready to go for the next five years.”
