Incorporated in 1980, TLF Graphics Inc. was purchased in 1998 by Dan Wagner, Ron LeBlanc and Bob McJury as equal partners.

The company operated from two facilities totaling 40,000 square feet in Brighton.

It employs 105 people and anticipates $18.4 million in 2007 sales.

TLF Graphics provides product decoration and identification solutions to regional and national clients, with about 50 percent of revenues coming from upstate.

The company was ranked No. 88 on the Rochester Top 100 list for 2006, compiled by the Rochester Business Alliance and KPMG.

Here, the three men talk about their company’s impact on the graphics industry and their plans for the future.

ALAX SHEBAR
STAFF WRITER

Who are your major clients?

Major clients include international manufacturers of durable goods, pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers.

What advantage do you have over similar businesses?

We are in our 11th straight year of top-line revenue growth, and try to distinguish ourselves from others in our industry through exceptional service and a broad product offering. We continue to be nimble, fast and flexible.

Advantages over similar competitors include our outstanding people, a “whatever it takes” attitude, a broad offering that allows for “one-stop shopping” for our clients’ graphics requirements.

We’ve been blessed with dedicated and loyal employees and had excellent guidance from our bank, attorney and accountants.

What are challenges faced in your business?

Finding, recruiting and developing talented employees. Competing with similar businesses operating in states with much lower costs. Continued double-digit health care increases. Financial investments to allow for growth opportunities.

Our business is still fun. We’re excited about our prospects and, despite some of the challenges above, we’ve prospered and grown our business in an industry that some would say is mature.

How do you see today’s economy affecting your sales?

We don’t spend a lot of time worrying about the local economy. A lot of companies can talk themselves into a down by focusing on the negatives. We focus on the positives of the local economy.

Nationally, we put things in place with clients where our services … have just continued to grow.

What do you enjoy about working in the Rochester area?

We enjoy being around our family. We’re all from the area; that’s important to us. .. And there’s great recreation facilities, parks and things like that. It offers a tremendous amount of resources.

You were on this list last year. Did you meet your goals for 2006? What about now for 2007?

Yes, we did meet our goals. We’ve submitted our nomination to Top 100; we expect to be on the list this year.

Where do you see your company in seven years?

Hopefully a $25 million company with employment of 130 associates.

Our industry is changing rapidly and opportunities abound.

There’s been much consolidation in our industry, but we expect to be here in western New York providing a high level of service, superior products and excellent employment opportunities for our associates.

In seven years, we see ourselves producing similar products, using improved printing and converting technologies and offering services related to the distribution of the products we print.

We expect to employ Internet-based systems to allow our clients to conduct business electronically with TLF as we strive to be easy to do business with. We hope to be under one roof (as opposed to the two facilities we operate today), as we believe we are stronger as an organization under one roof.

What would you say to someone trying to get into your line of work?

Prepare for a lot of hard work. Surround yourself with great people. Be able to deal with challenges. Stay on top of technology. Technology is a very important part of the business. It’s the future of the business. It’s what’s going to allow you to service your clients. If you don’t stay on top, you’ll end up being a dinosaur.

What do you do for fun?

We’re all pretty consistent in that area. We all like to play golf when we can fit it in, doing activities with our families our kids, working around the house.

We’re pretty boring. We don’t skydive or do anything. We all work out and that’s our mental health.