After working for another micrographics company for 15 years, Al Visram decided he was ready to be his own boss and bought CalWest Printing & Reproductions; the year was 1994. “It was a big adjustment. It was totally mind-blowing in the sense there was a lot of hard work that went into it,” says Al. “There were times I had to work 20-hour days to build up clientele and provide the service that would take us to the next level.”
The printing industry has seen its share of major changes over the years. When Al started in the field of micrographics in the 1980s, transferring information to microfilm was still a huge part of his job. When he took over CalWest Printing & Reproductions, it was primarily a reproduction company copying data for the seismic industry. Al added a variety of services, including printing, scanning and, his specialty, micrographics. With the advent of digital media, Al has again stayed ahead of the curve adding graphic design and other digital services. “In the mid-’90s, people used to print letterhead and envelopes. With the digital age they just email,” says Al. He adds that in the past people would want to store their documents on microfilm, now they are taking it off microfilm and scanning it.
Source: Calwest Printing & Reproductions Calgary Business Story
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