What truly inspires me right now is recognizing our February Employee of the Month, Teresa Barragan. Teresa joined JP Graphics in April 2023, coming from J’s Bindery. Jai himself called me and urged me to bring her on, confident she’d be an excellent fit. He was absolutely right. While we share much of the same bindery work—wire-o, spiral binding, perfect binding, drilling, and shrink-wrapping—it’s in die-cutting where Teresa has truly excelled.

In 2023, we acquired two Kluge die-cutters from a business that closed its doors. Installing them was no small feat, but with guidance from our friend KC Chapin at Absolute Machinery, we got them operational and secured some training. When I approached Teresa about learning the Kluges and training our younger team members—many of whom are more comfortable speaking Spanish—she readily agreed. She’s now instructing on both the cylinder die-cutters and the Kluges, and her impact is evident.

Beyond her technical skills, Teresa is remarkable in so many ways. She’s an accomplished beautician, and when a close friend needed support during cancer treatments, Teresa balanced both jobs with grace, always arriving with a warm smile and impeccable professionalism. She’s the kind of employee who steps up wherever needed and embraces the opportunity to train others. Our managers consistently praise her contributions:

• “Teresa does it all; die-cuts, bindery, she is always busy.” ~ Claudia
• “Teresa is everywhere, and friendly.” ~ Debbie
• “Claudia and Teresa finish the jobs and get them to delivery drivers. There’s NEVER any waste of time.” ~ Jonathan
• “I’m deeply grateful to Jai for recognizing Teresa’s potential for JP Graphics. She has proven to be a steadfast, reliable, and genuinely enthusiastic team member—always punctual and committed to excellence. When I asked her to take on the critical role of training the next generation of talent, she embraced the challenge. Teresa instills in our team the importance of precision—check your work, prioritize quality above all. Watching our younger employees cross-train on multiple machines under her guidance gives me great confidence in the future of JP Graphics. We’re in a strong position, and Teresa is a big part of that.” ~ Joan

Teresa, thank you for your unwavering dedication, your willingness to lead, and the positive energy you bring to JP Graphics every day—you truly make a difference.