After hosting the party celebrating my 30 years of owning the Neighborhood News, Jannah and I were proud to celebrate an even bigger milestone at an event hosted by our friends Kent and Cindy Ross, the owners of RP&G Printing & Business Systems, Inc.
And, while Kent and Cindy both seemed to enjoy themselves and said super-sweet things to us about my 30 years of Neighborhood News at our event, the fact is that my accomplishment pales in comparison to the fact that Kent has owned RP&G now for 40 years and Cindy joined him in 1995, or almost 30 years ago.
Like yours truly, Kent — a long-time member and former president of the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel — and Cindy, one of the most visible (at virtually every event) long-time ambassadors for the North Tampa Bay Chamber (NTBC), have deep roots in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities and also have been able to evolve their printing business over the decades.
Their celebration of Kent and RP&G’s 40 years on Mar. 21 also was a way to introduce their many friends and business associates to the company’s new location on Pet Ln., off Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Lutz, and featured beautiful food (including some very upscale bacon-wrapped, cheese-filled dates crafted by RP&G graphic designer Stephanie Flischel), an impressive hula hoop display — did I mention the hula hoop was on fire? — by production specialist Brianna Peterson and a dancing 7+-foot-tall robot (provided by Karen’s Hora Loca) adorned with the RP&G logo and a similar number of attendees as the 150 or so who attended (including Kent and Cindy, by the way) our event.
When you consider that the only other business that has been open continuously in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel since 1984, when Kent first opened RP&G, is Saddlebrook Resort, you can understand why RP&G’s longevity is such a major accomplishment.
And, don’t forget that Saddlebrook was sold by founder and owner Tom Dempsey last year, so unless I’m forgetting someone, I don’t believe any business has been serving either of our distribution areas for longer than our friend Kent has.
Here are some facts Kent sent us in a press release about RP&G’s 40th birthday:
“We started by supplying continuous forms and checks for the burgeoning computer revolution in the 1980s. along with business cards and stationery,” he said. ”Full color printing then was so expensive only big companies could afford it, but now, we specialize in full-color marketing materials to help small businesses shine that are affordable for any size company.”
“This dedication has established a foundation of loyalty, still servicing clients that have been with the company since its inception — a testament to their unwavering commitment to client relations and customer service.”
Cindy added, “RP&G stands for more than just service; it signifies a promise to deliver great value and make our clients look their best.”
Significant achievements in RP&G’s 40-year history include:
• Winning the Small Business of the Year award from the NTBC in 2017
• Runner-up for Small Business of the Year, Pasco Economic Development Council, in 2016
• Receiving the Superior Performance in Print Shop Management award by CPrint International three times in the past five years.
Kent reminisces with humor about the company’s early days: “People often ask me what RP&G stands for. At the start, I looked so young — many assumed I was a kid trying to run a business. By rebranding to RP&G instead of my original ‘Ross Printing and Graphics,’ and changing my title from President to Sales Representative, I saw our sales take off, as people then trusted that I had ‘adult supervision.’”
In addition to keeping up with modern printing production technology, RP&G attributes much of its success to its dedicated staff.
“Machines will only get you so far,” Kent says. “At the end of the day, it’s the people in your organization that will make or break you and we have been blessed with talented team players that really look after our clients!”
These four decades also showcase a family’s legacy in the printing business. Kent’s grandmother was the founder of the Pasco Shopper and had a print shop in the 1950s. His father joined that business in the early ‘60s.
Congrats, Kent & Cindy! We love you! And clearly, we’re not the only ones!
For more info about RP&G, call (813) 949-5700 or visit RPandG.com.
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