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I understand your grandfather started Des Moines Blueprint, the original company behind Beeline and Blue. How long have you been involved?
My grandfather founded Des Moines Blueprint in 1958 before my father took it on in 1983. In 2000 I was the one to take it over and be the third generation of family business owners, which is something to be proud of. I wasn’t always interested in taking over the family business, but when I did a project in high school relating to the industry it caused a spark. After college graduation, things locked in place and I joined the business.
What is your role in the company?
I am the president and owner of Beeline and Blue, but I wear a lot of different hats and oversee the business day to day making sure all systems are running well. This includes everything from meeting with clients to being a sales manager and monitoring stock and pricing.
What do you enjoy most about it? (Or what about the company are you most proud of?)
What I enjoy most are the people I meet through the business whether it be employees or customers. I value helping our customers come up with a solution to help solve their problems in a way they might not have thought. I am most proud of continuing Beeline and Blue as a third-generation family business owner!
What do you see for the future of the industry?
I have seen the industry change from print to digital throughout the 90s, but we have continued to do the same work we have always been doing, just at a higher level. We’re still making blueprints, selling printers, creating signage, and helping our customers with marketing. If anything, I see a push in the marketing industry with the kind of work we will be producing, especially as people settle in after the pandemic. As concerts, festivals, trade shows, and more events start popping up, I imagine we will see a surplus of work with marketing materials like vehicle wraps, vinyl graphics, signage, etc. I like to stay up to date on the trends in the industry and I’m pretty heavily involved in what is just around the corner, so I’m excited to see what’s next and how Beeline and Blue can be a part of it.
What are you excited about for Beeline and Blue?
I’m most excited about the growth within the company and within the industry. Speaking to what I said before, watching the industry change coming out of the pandemic will be interesting as work starts to kick back up and people start to invest more in their businesses. Seeing how technology evolves and allows for better production within our business and what we sell to others will be good to see.
Anything else? I see Vickie is with you today.
Everyone loves Vickie and she is definitely spoiled with attention by Beeline employees. People will purposely stick treats in their pockets so Vickie will follow them around and they can claim they are “her favorite.” I’m pretty sure it works!
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