Gary Crisp still sees a lot of potential in the printing industry, particularly in digital print and imaging.
Since Crisp Imaging last year won a Business Journal Family-Owned Business award for the large company category, it has increased sales by about 18% and has acquired three more companies, Crisp said.
It also hosted its 13th annual Super Bowl Party where about 500 people showed up at the American Legion Post in Newport Beach’s Balboa Peninsula to support Marines and veterans. He also turned 65 years old.
“Family is strong, business is good—we had a great first quarter,” Crisp told the Business Journal.
“We’re supporting the causes that are dear to us. The Super Bowl Party was fabulous.”
Crisp had a fast-rising career in large corporations before landing a job more than 20 years ago with recreational vehicle maker Fleetwood Enterprises. Within a year, that company went through a round of layoffs and Crisp was let go.
“I didn’t do so good with it. At the time, I wasn’t happy, but what a blessing that was,” Crisp said last year.
He and his wife, Julie, in 2001 started a printing company that became Crisp Imaging, which also employs their son Carter Crisp, a vice president in charge of marketing.
Crisp Imaging is known for printing a wide variety of products from reprographics to digital services. It survived increasing digitization by pivoting with the times, such as with its “Docu-Dock” that helps public entities like schools easily store online their architectural and other building plans.
Clients have included Rubios, Kaiser Permanent, USC Village, SoFi Stadium and Los Angeles International Airport. During the pandemic, Crisp Imaging pivoted by producing 15 million products such as directional signage labels that were placed on floors.
The company’s made 13 acquisitions over the past three years and is now at a run rate approaching $35 million. It’s aiming to make another five to 10 acquisitions in the next 18 months, so it can approach as $45 million run rate, Crisp said.
“We’ve made some big acquisitions at the end of last year, so we’re on a little bit of pause now,” Crisp said.
Gary and Julie Crisp own 70% of the company that now employs 200 at 25 locations. The company is aiming to continue its West Coast expansion into areas like Denver and New Mexico.
“We’re expanding everywhere in the West,” he said. “I’m doing it through the traditional banking ways, which takes longer than normal.”
