The Color Management Group has announced that it acquired Elevated Color, a Lakewood, Colorado-based color management organization. The company will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary, and will continue to provide color management products, service and support to its existing customers, while helping other Color Management Group customers and dealers, as well.
The Color Management Group is a "think tank" consortium of consultant-based resellers sharing technical information/knowledge and working together to conduct co-marketing activities promoting print products and services. The Color Management Group offers four primary services to color management expert members: It provides access to a full range of products, offering one buying source for current and emerging technologies; a resource for technical service, training and support; a complete portfolio of marketing services; and back office services to allow members to focus on their areas of color expertise while allowing their businesses to become more productive.
ColorManagement.com provides a single business entity for strategic partners, vendors and national accounts to do business with the best color management consultants in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Listed on the ColorManagement.com website, Premier Consultants are trainers and installers of color management products who understand the need for a definitive resource for color management technology.
Elevated Color, founded in 2008 and an active member of the Color Management Group, built a nationwide client list with a strong reputation of helping printers install and operate color management systems. The company also provided direct and web sales of software and hardware related to print and color management and consumables such as ink and paper. The company's founder, owner and president, Bill Owen, has been involved with prepress, printing and color management since the early 1980s and is well known and respected within the print community. Owen's broad education in print technology was honed at International Paper and xpedx, where he was required to provide installation and training for every product the company sold—from a variety of print devices to software. Owen specializes and is certified in a wide range of color management technologies from prepress to the pressroom. He helps print providers to calibrate their entire shop to industry standards such as GRACoL, SWOP, and others.
"We are very enthusiastic to add Elevated Color to our business," remarks CMG President Lida Jalali Marschke. "This acquisition is in accord with our strategic direction to offer the best color management sales, service and support to a growing list of print providers. We will continue to provide the company's distinguished list of customers the same level of service of field training and technical assistance that they have been accustomed to. Bill Owen is a solid, experienced technician who will also be able to help our dealers grow their own businesses."
Owen said, "After running a business and managing a web-based sales site for eight years, I am looking forward to putting the business part of my job behind me, to free myself up to what I love to do. As a long-time Color Management Group dealer, I am very much aware of the business and technical expertise and support Lida Jalali Marschke offers her customers and dealers. I am thrilled to be a part of the Color Management team, and look forward to focusing solely on color consultation, helping to continue these efforts."