Today we’d like to introduce you to Chad Johnson
Hi Chad, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I began my adventure at 22 when I moved to Colorado to start my first business. I got a paper route to pay my rent then made 50 cold calls day using the yellow pages to find leads. I was selling barcode scanners, printers and labels and after about 6 months I realized the labels were the only thing that customers would buy every month so I quickly shifted to focus on the “razor blades” and just sell labels. I grew my business year over year but after 3 years my dad had a heart attack back home, he lived but I realized I should move home. I moved home in 1999 and started Quality Label with Gene Hickman, my old boss from when I was 15. He was a great Mentor and helped me get going by buying a label press so we could produce in house. My first hire was my sister Amber, then my dad. We grew the company to the point where I bought Gene out in 2003. In 2005 I had an opportunity to merge with another Label company so we did, they had 5 presses so with our capabilities we were able to grow rapidly and make the Inc 500 list twice in 4 years. We ended up selling the company in 2011, but I bought Gene Hickmans old company which was Plateworks in 2009 so I had another company to go and grow. My sister and I went over to Plateworks and began to grow that company which led us to Adhue Graphics in Blaine, Mn. Adhue is a distributor of thin gauge film to the print and packaging industry, shortly after the purchase of Adhue, we bought Medalyst, which had equipment to slit and cut film. I went to Adhue to run it while Amber stayed at Plateworks. Then in 2019 we had an opportunity to purchase Sharper Image Engravers in Chicago ( a Plateworks twin), and we were off and running, but the story doesn’t end there… Labels found their way back to me when a friend of ours who owned Pro Label in Anoka MN approached me to buy them. which we did in 2021. So its been a crazy ride but sister Amber and Dad have been with the whole ride and still today as Amber is now my business parter in all our endeavors. I would not have achieved this growth without the loving support from my wife Angie (aka Twerp), she has supported me the entire journey and deserves a lot of the credit. Looking forward to the next chapters
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
For the most part its been smooth, but there are always struggles from finding good employees to dealing with customers who don’t pay. But for the most part I’ve got such a great group of employees that they deserve a lot of credit for our growth. We have very low turnover. I learned early to hire people smarter and more qualified than myself to manage the business. My managment team is incredible. I’ve been blessed to have a great support staff, great banker, great accountant and great attorney to help me navigate through the jungle of business.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We specialize in product labeling, flexographic printing plates and thin gauge film for the print and packaging market. Our companies are known for great service, excellent quality and turn time. I think what sets us apart from others is our ability to be creative and to find solutions for the customers problems. I’m most proud of the team I’ve put together, they are all on the same page, respect each other and just get it done. Our business is B to B so a little hard to explain our brand to a consumer but basically for Pro Label, any product label you see on a product like a heinz ketchup label for instance we can print. Plateworks and Sharper make the printing plates that print images onto a label, or a corrugated box. Adhue supplies film that gets printed on that ends up in Target, Caribou, etc.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Yes, the best book that I ever read that got me going on the right track is As You Think by James Allen, it shows you how to think positive and how positive thoughts attract positive results. I also like The Power of your subconscious mind by Joseph Murphy. Similar concept on how to get your subconscious mind to control your conscious mind. Power of Positivity is the key.
Pricing:
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Contact Info:
- Website: www.adhue.com, www.plateworksplus.com, www.sharperi.net, www.prolabelmn.com
