“Together Talks” #98: TEAM Concept Printing with Founder, Tony Rouse

Some Background on TEAM Concept Printing

Today's edition of "Together Talks" campaign, KLS had the opportunity to interview TEAM Concept Printing and Tony Rouse, Founder. When professionals need a resource for the highest-quality print materials they come to TEAM. Their presses run 24 hours-a-day so they can deliver on the tightest deadlines in the industry. Their experience, knowledge and attention to detail enable them to produce outstanding finished products even the most discriminating clients are proud to show as their own. Best of all, their wholesale direct pricing allows print brokers, agencies and designers to offer one-stop custom print and mail capabilities at a competitive rate. Your business needs partners who can enhance your ability to serve your customers. For a printer, that means speed, flexibility, robust capability and the attention to detail to bring it all together. That's what TEAM Concept Printing strive for every day.

Printing Start

The beginning of Tony's career started back in high school when he took a vocational class. He fell in love with it and soon after got involved with a commercial printing company. From there he transitioned to on his own selling business cards and letterheads. This was still prior to digital printing being as mainstream as we are used to today. Tony realized that he constantly found himself envisioning a better corporate environment. He noticed that there wasn't a cultural bond. He kept imagining running a dynamic printing company but he specifically wanted to focus on one thing.

Team.

Vision for a team

Tony set out to curate his vision of what a team would be under this dynamic printing company. Culture was important, empowerment and learning, but also contributions outside of the scope of work. One area he was sustainability. The company is FSC (Forest Steward Council) certified. They purchase carbon offsets which is another large component of their efforts. The company wanted to leave the world a better place than where they found it from their inception. Ultimately they created what is now known as their TEAM legacy which is their contributions to local charities and nonprofits.

And 25 years ago that is how TEAM Concept Printing was formed to create for the better.

Partner with KLS

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Commitment to detail

TEAM Concept Printing is one of the nation’s largest commercial printers. They thrive with their versatile and dynamic work under one roof. Rarely does the company have to outsource, the commit to a one site project. Over the years they have acquired smaller companies or pieces of equipment to further increase their ability to meet consumer demands. Tony also shared how on top of the quality of work and level of creativity he is most proud of the tenured seniority across the board of his TEAM.

Tony said that their vast supply of in-house equipment is one of their greatest strengths. That was increased when they completed an acquisition of a second Kimori machine, one of the best for large scale printing. A 7-figure investment, Tony explained he had the option to delay the purchase, but ultimately went through with it. While he had some apprehension, he couldn't deny he had in the vision for his company and the growth due to his TEAM.

The company also excels because of relationships. They have such a vast network of connections due to their longevity and partner relations. Often times customers keep coming back because of the focus and attention to detail the TEAM company provides. Their newest addition is TEAM Mail Plus, which is a new program creating print projects that are fully integrated omni-channel marketing campaigns. It is another way that TEAM is handling from A-Z and taking all the work off of their clients hands.

When we asked Tony what makes TEAM the right choice he said it comes down to their commitment to quality work regardless of the size of a project. 99% of the print related projects are done on site by them. They are able to provide hyper custom local level attention while also providing nationwide programs. Tony once again echoed the culture and the TEAM stating that their low turnover is well above industry norms. Lastly, they pride themselves on relationships, both within the company, their various partners and all of their clients.

Bullish during Covid

When Covid hit many companies came to a screeching halt. Tony did the opposite, he pushed all his chips in. He was bullish on how they would come out of the pandemic once it ended. He had expansion ideas on the horizon pre-covid, and was not going to let it deter him. During Covid they nearly doubled their size at the time. Just a remarkable accomplishment during that period of time.

Tony stated how much he enjoys being able to celebrate the victories of the company with his TEAM members. They are consistently on the NAPCO list and have been moving up showing their growth. Tony credits everyone who makes excellent contributions to continue to expand what they can offer to clients without sacrificing their level of quality. Tony commented on one of his proudest moments, nearly 15 years ago, when they moved from their location in Addison to Carol Stream. Taking that leap was a huge risk, but it has paid off and he credits his entire TEAM. Tony said the most important thing for him in his career has been a life-long approach to constantly learn and remain curious. Not being afraid to fail is another component. By always wanting to learn it allows him to not suffer from paralysis analysis. He closed with, "Seeing our people thrive as individuals both personally and professionally is the most gratifying. Our group leaves a positive impact and it allows us to pay it forward. This was the vision I had when I wanted to first create TEAM."

Piece of Advice

Our chat with Tony ended with him sharing his piece of advice.

"It is not all about dollars and cents when looking at a business relationship. People look past first transactional relationship to be successful. Look past and find where both businesses can benefit is most crucial. Put extra attention initially, because in the long run it pays off. So many things we do for non-profit, in the long run it pays out for both sides."

Interested in being featured with "Together Talks"?

KLS is booking our upcoming schedule now!

Contact us as we would love to learn your story and share it amongst our audience.

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In Closing

KLS wants to thank Tony Rouse, Founder, of TEAM Concept Printing for today's "Together Talks" feature. Keep up to date with TEAM Concept Printing by following their blog on their website, check it out here. Follow along for the TEAM Concept Printing journey with their social handles below!

Instagram?/ LinkedIn / ?Facebook?/ YouTube