Keep doing good

As our small-but-mighty team works to wrap up this issue and get it sent to the printer, I realize that I’ll soon be coming up on my five-year anniversary with GRAPHICS PRO. It’s hard to believe that amount of time has passed since I started in 2021!

A lot has changed in the industry within that time frame, including decoration technologies, overall trends, business practices, and software, to name a few. But there’s one aspect of the industry that hasn’t changed — and I hope never does: graphics shops and manufacturers coming together to do good.

Over the years, I’ve found that some of my favorite stories aren’t impressive projects or big clientele, but those that show the industry supporting nonprofits, charities, and other such organizations. Not to mention when everyone comes together to help local communities impacted by natural disasters or other such tragedies.

Whether it’s donating hats to women’s shelters, printing tees to raise money for wildfire relief, sponsoring a litter of service dogs, or wrapping a skin cancer screening bus — these philanthropic acts help better our communities, improve lives, and bring the industry closer together.

So, as we round out the rest of the year (and look toward the future), let’s focus on continuing to do good. Maybe it’s through donating during National Giving Month in December. Maybe your shop, like our parent company Cahaba Media Group, gives employees days off to volunteer at organizations of their choice. Or, if you run out of ideas, keep an eye on our “Giving back” section of Industry Updates every month.

If you know of a shop or company that’s making a difference — tell us about them at gpeditorial@cahabamedia.com.

Cheers,

Marie Fennema

Managing Editor