Although La Crosse Litho Supply LLC has grown to a company with more than $27 million in sales, it still retains a small-business level of customer support, according to Randy Peters, president and chief executive officer of the Pewaukee firm.
La Crosse is a distribution company to the graphic arts industry. The firm serves a variety of businesses, from small printing companies to large, sheet-fed and Web printing companies.
“The difference is we offer value-added opportunities for our clients,” Peters said.
According to Peters, there are two ways to do business.
“The Home Depot approach and the Ace Hardware approach,” he said. “You can buy something fairly economical at Home Depot, but Ace specializes in it.”
Peters said his company is a one-stop-shop for its customers.
“We not only sell a piece of equipment, we service it, support it, finance it and place it on their floor,” Peters said. “You don’t have to call the manufacturer to get it serviced. We know everything there is to know about it.”
Those bragging rights come from a continual training program Peters implemented when he purchased the company in 1999. He sends his sales staff to training classes offered by manufacturers on their products and brings in manufacturers to speak about their products six to eight times annually.
“I have a very aggressive approach to doing business,” Peters said. “My competition stays status quo. The philosophy I have is a shark that doesn’t swim dies.”
When Peters purchased the company, it had four people and sales of $2 million. Today, 37 people contribute to the company’s sales of more than $27 million. This year’s first quarter for La Crosse shows growth of 22 percent compared with the first quarter of 2005.
“There have been times over the last seven years where times got tough,” Peters said. “I could have given up, but I preach to my kids and employees you don’t give up. You find an alternative and move with it. You live it and you breathe it.
“As a business owner, money’s cool, but feeling the recognition makes my day more than getting a paycheck and paying the house payments,” Peters said.
La Crosse Litho Supply LLC
Location: W237 N2889 Woodgate Road, Pewaukee
Year established: 1977
Number of employees: 37
Web site: www.lacrosselitho.com
Main products/services: Distribution company to the graphic arts industry
