Fifteen years ago, entrepreneur Lida Jalali Marschke founded Color Management Distribution, a value-added distributor of color management and control products. Five years later, in 2003, she launchedColor Management Group (CMG, www.colormanagement.com) as a worldwide "think tank" consortium of independent experts, consultants, and system integrators in the challenging field of professional color management.
At this year's Color Management Conference in Phoenix, on December 9, the group will celebrate both milestones at their annual evening event. Sponsors for this year's event include EFI, Eizo, Epson, GMG, Just Normlicht, Roland, Techkon and X-Rite.
"A lot has happened in 15 years," Marschke said. "We've grown to become the leading independent provider of color management expertise, technology, and consumables-and not only in the U.S. We offer products that our experts have proven in the field; we're not limited to the agenda of one big manufacturer or developer. Our customers get the color control they need, from people who really know the business."
CMG's members include independent companies, including professional color consultants/integrators, equipment and supply resellers, and color software developers. About 90% of these partners are located in the U.S., with a growing number in Europe, Latin America, and Asia. CMG also provides live, nationwide technical support for its color management systems, and conducts regular training sessions, including on-site, webinars, and regular classes at its two U.S. facilities.
To address the needs of the general commercial print industry, CMG's members include the largest number of IDEAlliance G7 Certified Experts in the world. On the packaging side, CMG also boasts the largest number of FTA First Level I & II Implementation Specialists.
Over the years, Color Management Group has also qualified and introduced new products in the U.S.-often combining them in ways that reduce costs and increase color quality for their customers. At the Color Management Conference, CMG will unveil a new offering from Hong Kong.
Value-Added Color
Color Management Group member companies offer their customers an extraordinarily high level of service in the often-baffling world of digital color control. "Our members are very carefully selected," Marschke noted. "We look for proven expertise, standards-based certification, and a 'can-do' approach to business." CMG member companies typically deal with complex color problems for digital and offsetpresses, proofing systems, wide-format devices, and calibrated displays. "We offer a very simple value proposition: 'Knowledge Is Power.' Our partners have almost 1,400 years of combined experience! That's over 20,500 installations and 70,000 days in the field," Marschke noted. "They don't just sell software and equipment; they offer priceless expertise, and ways to make great color possible every day."
CMG member companies benefit from volume pricing agreements usually associated with large distribution companies. In addition, CMG also promotes technical certification programs-for members and their customers-and provides live technical support, Web e-commerce, marketing support, and (most recently) back office services. "We help small, sometimes one-man companies serve their customers better, and do more of what they do best, without adding fixed costs.
