In 1943, renowned American photographer Wynn Bullock started Arrow Photo, a small commercial photo lab in Santa Maria, Calif. As the business grew, so did the product offering. In the 1950s, then-owner Hank Datter added film processing. In 1979, Margrit Holmes joined the Arrow Photo family. About 11 years ago, Holmes purchased the company where she has dedicated much of her life. 
When she bought Arrow Photo, Holmes made the difficult decision to split off the camera store to focus on offering the best output for her clients. “I realized that the only way I can be successful in these challenging times is by offering customer service, connecting with my clients, producing high-end products, and most of all, giving quality,” she says. “The only way you can give quality is to use quality products.”
Holmes works with both aqueous and dye-sublimation printers. She uses LexJet Sunset Reserve Gloss on her two EPSON P6000 printers for her canvas prints. Recently, she added a SureColor F6370 and Geo Knight Maxi Press Air to improve her ChromaLuxe process.
Holmes’ decision to bri
ng in the heat press ChromaLuxe prints to her clients was easy. The unique look of the aluminum panels creates durable and eye-popping images. “We offer the high gloss and the matte because not everybody likes the high gloss,” she says. “The colors are punchier with the gloss, but we have a lot of customers who prefer the matte, and we have no re-dos.”
The desire to provide high-quality products and customer service to her clients is one of Holmes’ main reasons almost exclusively with LexJet. She enjoys the wide variety of products, fast delivery, and friendly service from LexJet. “In the beginning, I was only ordering canvas, and then I realized how many products you carry, now I order from LexJet,” she says. “It’s because of the service and the fast delivery time. Often, we have the product the next day or two days later.”
With her diverse clientele – anything from customers ordering family photos to large canvas or ChromaLuxe prints for hotels and hospitals – Holmes knows
the importance of getting what she needs when she needs it. “For us to fulfill everybody’s needs and do it successfully, we must use quality products and have the material available when I need it,” she says. “And we have LexJet to back us up and support us.”
Knowing she can get products she loves and trusts on time is not the only reason Holmes has partnered with LexJet. Perhaps, more importantly, is knowing that when she needs help, she can call and get her personal sales manager, Terry Brown, on the phone. “I know Terry will be there for me if I need him. It’s about having that human connection, and that’s important”, she says. “I always appreciate companies that recognize that customer service is important, and there are so many companies getting away from that.”
With her long and storied history with a long and storied company, Margrit Holmes knows what it takes to make customers happy, and she values the partnership she has with Terry Brown and LexJet. “Perhaps if it weren’t for LexJet, we wouldn’t be so successful, so really it is a win-win,” she says.
We’d love to see how we can positively impact your business, too. Reach out to a LexJet sales specialist at 800-453-9538 or browse our wide variety of products at The LexJet Experience, a virtual world with everything LexJet has to offer.
