News

Closed for Labor Day

AlphaGraphics will be closed on Monday, September 6th in honor of Labor Day. Have a safe weekend!

AlphaGraphics in the Cultural District Sponsors Pressley Ridge at the Badwater Ultramarathon

AlphaGraphics in the Cultural District recently sponsored Pressley Ridge at the Badwater Ultramarathon July 12-14, in Death Valley, California. As a result, Dr. B. Scott Finnell, CEO and President of Pressley Ridge, raised $84,000 for the 7,000 children and families the organization serves annually. He completed his run in 40 hours and 50 minutes; the race must be completed in 60 hours. Dr. Finnell is 1 of 90 people worldwide selected to run the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon, which began in Death Valley, CA and finished at Mount Whitney, CA, crossing three mountain ranges in between.

Pressley Ridge is a private, nonprofit agency in Pennsylvania that provides an array of services to troubled and developmentally challenged children, while helping these children remain close to their families and communities. Dr. Finnell dedicated his run to those who Pressley Ridge serves and their difficult journey.

“The focused, important work of Pressley Ridge is quite remarkable, and their contribution to each child, family and the community is of the highest quality,” says Clare Meehan, President and CEO of AlphaGraphics in the Cultural District. Finnell shared that he’s proud of his team, who each play a vital role in the positive outcomes for children and families, even in the most difficult situations.

For information about Pressley Ridge visit www.pressleyridge.org.

Introducing: agSpeaks!

In celebration of our 10th anniversary, we are pleased to announce the launch of our new blog, agSpeaks!

Visit us weekly at agspeaks.typepad.com for interesting marketing tips, facts about emerging technologies, AG internal happenings, and posts just for fun as we enter into our next ten years of innovation.

Log on today to view our first post, an interview with our founder, Bill Meehan, who looks back at the past 10 years and outlines his expectations for another decade of success!

AlphaGraphics in the Cultural District Honored at Conference

AlphaGraphics in the Cultural District was recently honored at the company’s annual conference in Tucson, Arizona. Our center received the "Best Operations Award," which honors the best of the best of global centers based on operational performance and is only given to one center amongst 280 worldwide.

In addition, we also received awards for Marketing Solutions, Technical Innovation, Industry and Community Recognition, Network Builder, Top 10 Selling Owners, Masters Club, and Grand Masters Club.

This year’s conference focused on the latest trends in communications marketing, such as social media marketing strategies, QR (Quick Response) codes, and personalized URLs. Our staff is excited to share what we’ve learned and to use the knowledge we’ve gained to meet and anticipate the communications needs of our growing customer base.

Fourth of July

AlphaGraphics will be closed on Monday, July 5th for Independence Day. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend!

Welcome Kerri Durica to the AG Team!

WANTED: Project Coordinator SUPERSTAR!

We're growing & in search of a skilled individual to join an awesome team. Ideal candidate is well organized, has good listening skills, & the ability to drill down to gain information on each customer's wants & needs. If you (or someone you know) is hungry to succeed & wants to be part of a high-performing team, we're ready to hear from you. Please email your resume & cover letter to us514@alphagraphics.com for consideration.

Memorial Day

AlphaGraphics will be closed on Monday, May 31st for Memorial Day. Have a great weekend!

Lunch N Learn Recap

Last Wednesday, AlphaGraphics held a luncheon event to demonstrate innovative marketing strategies. During the lunch, we reviewed two AlphaGraphics case studies from successful campaigns during the event. Below are links to the case study discussions that you can copy and paste in your web browser to view the videos.

http://www.agpittsburgh.com/video/Gateway_May2_849am.mp4

http://www.agpittsburgh.com/video/ValentinesDreamBig_May2_859am.mp4

Congratulations Cedrica Lowe!

The staff at AlphaGraphics would like to announce Cedrica Lowe of Education Management Corporation as the winner of $50 cash for correctly guessing that the US would win 9 gold medals in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Congratulations Cedrica!

Current Medal Standings

Congratulations Robin Hanna!

The staff of AlphaGraphics would like to announce Robin Hanna of the Pittsburgh Pirates as the winner of our $100 Macy's gift card raffle! Congratulations Robin!

AlphaGraphics/Pindar Sailing Team Held Captive, Now Free

On November 25th, the AlphaGraphics/Pindar sailing team was sailing from Bahrain to Dubai to take part in the Dubai-Muscat Offshore Race when they mistakenly strayed into Iranian waters. After being held by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard for a week, the five yachtsmen have now been released. Andrew Pindar, chairman of Sail Bahrain and co-owner of the boat, said as far as he knew the crew members were fine and were sailing the boat slowly. One team member recently said it feels "absolutely fantastic" to be free.

Holiday Shopping Spree

The Holidays are fast approaching, and who
couldn't use a little extra cash?
That's why AlphaGraphics is offering one lucky winner a $100 MACY'S GIFT CARD to help lighten the burden on your wallet this gift-giving season. To enter, text "AG514" to 91010
from your mobile phone! Drawing will be held on Wednesday, November 25 at 2 pm, just in time for Black Friday! Limited to one entry per customer. Deadline for entries is noon on Wednesday, November 25, 2009.

Dream Big

Earlier this month, our clients traveled to Greece and back with our Seven Wonders of the World themed party in which we unveiled our new large format equipment and showcased our promotional products.
Rob Zelinsky and Paul Cline, our digital operators, gave demonstrations on the new equipment. Additionally, a variety of promotional products were on display to give clients the opportunity to see and touch samples and generate new ideas for future projects.
Congratulations to Geri Toth from Catholic Charities!
She was the winner of the $500 DREAM BIG, WIN BIG! drawing.

G-20 Summit Notice

Due to the G-20 Summit, our business hours will change temporarily over the next week. Please see our revised schedule below.

Saturday, Sept. 19- Open for business
Sunday, Sept. 20- Open for business
Monday, Sept. 21- Open for business
Tuesday, Sept. 22- Open for business
Wednesday, Sept. 23- Open for business
Thursday, Sept. 24- Closed
Friday, Sept. 25- Closed

Regular business hours will resume on Monday, Sept. 28.

Feel free to contact us with any questions. Thank you for your understanding

Annual Conference, Chicago 2009

Alphagraphics had a very successful annual conference in August at the Palmer House in Chicago. We received several awards which we are extremely proud of. Our Center got the Masters Club Award in recognition of achieving excellence in sales, team, operations, marketing and profit. Clare Meehan was recognized for her achievement as number one salesperson in the system worldwide. Our Center continues to be in Gold Circle which is the top 10% in revenue performance for Alphagraphics worldwide. Liz Gerschultz, our Assistant Manager, received the Vital Connection Award for outstanding employee performance.

Many people attend conference from all over the world to learn and share the latest marketing and technology ideas through classes, speakers, panels and networking amongst the owners.

US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics

Did you know?... In 2008, AlphaGraphics signed a multi-year partnership agreement to be the first-ever title sponsor of the US Sailing Team until 2012.

Recently at the AlphaGraphics Conference held in Chicago, Clare and Bill Meehan, Rich Cichoski, and Liz Gerschultz had the privilege of meeting three inspiring members of the US Olympic Sailing Team. During a fantastic presentation, Anna Tunnicliffe, Zach Railey, and Maureen Tucker-McKinnon detailed their experiences in training for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and their overwhelming emotions as they participated in events in Oingdao, China. These athletes illustrated, through vivid recollections, that with teamwork and complete dedication anything is possible. They left China with one silver and two gold metals.

On a daily basis, AlphaGraphics strives to have the same dedication to our customers. As a team, we are constantly reviewing ways to perform stronger and more efficiently to create an even more positive experience for our customers.

QR codes used to generate buzz via mobile marketing

A unique data-tracking technology has recently been transformed into an innovative marketing strategy that many businesses are implementing into their marketing plans. Created by a Japanese company in 1994 for the purpose of tracking inventory, QR Codes (Quick Response Codes) have become the newest tactic in mobile marketing. The QR Code is essentially a matrix bar code that allows anyone with a Smartphone to simply snap a picture, and the phone’s web browser will instantly be directed to the website, image, or text embedded in that code. Placing images of QR Codes on business cards, store windows, vehicles, or virtually any marketing piece makes it easier than ever to direct current and potential customers to your business’s website.

AlphaGraphics in the Cultural District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is one of the tech-savvy businesses currently using QR Codes to boost their mobile marketing relevance. Owners Bill & Clare Meehan are consistently in step with the latest technologies and innovative techniques used worldwide to ensure AlphaGraphics stays ahead of competitors and has a strong e-commerce presence. “In our business, technology changes 20% every years, which means every five years you have a new business,” says president/CEO Clare Meehan. Currently displayed in their storefront window are oversized prints of two different codes: one directing Smartphone-carrying passersby to the homepage of the AlphaGraphics website, and the other displaying the store’s contact information right on the phone’s screen. Between the two is a brief set of directions for those who may be encountering a QR Code for the first time. The atypical look and ease of use of the QR Codes is sure to attract the attention of many and to generate buzz for AlphaGraphics and other businesses utilizing this notable mobile marketing strategy.

Welcome to our new site!

We are very excited about the launch of our new online information center. The future of communications is ever changing, and we stay at the front of innovation. With this new site you will be able to contact us, send files, request estimates, all from one location. AlphaGraphics strives for excellence, you can see that from our Portfolio. Be sure to check our Clients section to see who puts their trust in AlphaGraphics. Keep checking the news section to see what our Team is up to. We look forward to helping you succeed.