We’ve been featuring our Employee of the Month since 2017. The idea grew from early conversations with Suzi Worley, who oversees marketing for both JP Graphics and Idyll Time Wines.
After a Watermark event, over cocktails (where I often get my best ideas), we discussed creating weekly emails that highlight our team and customers. At the time, social media had been around for over a decade, and as a service-based printer, I didn’t feel I had a “product” to promote.
I just wanted to get found, and Suzi emphasized the power of connections and consistent email campaigns, she encouraged scheduling social media content around our customers’ habits, and building real relationships before adding anyone to our subscriber list. No buying followers.
It was more meetings than just this one I recollect, and from those discussions came our Tuesday emails:
- a healthy recipe (thanks to my friend, Colleen De La Torre of Shanti Art Design)
- a promo item selected by our in-house promo guy, Bill Grizzle
- our Print Partner of the Month where Suzi showcases some of the creative print products we produce for our clients
- and the Employee of the Month, which quickly became the monthly highlight.
Suzi always makes the words I write sound so much more polished and professional. The number of comments we receive after each email (whether acknowledging the featured person or simply noting that JP Graphics is a good company) makes selecting the Employee of the Month a top priority at our senior staff meeting.
Our team members are our greatest asset, especially those who’ve been with us through thick and thin, and recognizing their hard work and dedication, has always mattered most. There is no competition or pay raise, just a small stipend and the powerful recognition of a job well done.
For February 2026, our Employee of the Month is Kim Reeves.
Kim joined JP Graphics in October 2014, bringing two Letterpress machines and years of experience from Simon Printing. He helped us truly understand craftsmanship in printing, letterpress, embossing, foil stamping, and precision die-cutting. After more than 16 years with us, Kim has adapted to new demands while leading the resurgence of letterpress work as other local shops have closed or merged. He’s a true perfectionist, always with his ruler in his apron, pushing prepress for better registration overlays and mastering skills like glue laminating.
Kim is a dedicated family man who takes care of whatever needs doing with precision and care. He’s played a key role in our high-end work for clients like the Golden State Warriors and their family of brands. I’ve learned so much from him, counter dies for embossing, foil release differences by substrate, double-hitting for crisp logos, the importance of sheet size and grippers, and more. His willingness to teach the next generation is especially valuable; he embodies the idea that you can’t leave until you’ve trained your replacement.
Here’s what our managers have to say:
- “Kim does a really great job with the Warriors Cards, foil stamping, glue laminating, cutting, there are so many.” ~ Jonathan
- “He is the ultimate craftsman. Kim truly cannot go on until it’s perfect.” ~ Joe
- “Kim KNOWS what he is doing. I’ve learned in prepress what an overlay is, crop marks just aren’t enough.” ~ Dave
- “When he is on, you cannot believe what he gets done.” ~ Debbie
- “I don’t think many people realize what it takes to get a sale/order in this declining field. But once I saw the true craftsmanship of Kim Reeves, I sold HIM. We’re landing high-end customers like the US Mint, the State of California, and the Golden State Warriors because of it. His precision die-cutting for medical work and his commitment to keeping this craft alive show the kind of person he is. So glad he’s been part of our family for 16+ years!” ~ Joan
A great design tells the story, but exceptional print craftsmanship makes it unforgettable. Kim’s dedication to his work not only creates happy customers, it makes our marketing and print partner features easy!
Congratulations, Kim, on being named our February Employee of the Month. Your dedication, skill, and generosity in sharing your expertise continue to set JP Graphics apart. Thank you for everything you do!
P.S. As the subject line indicated, we’re sharing two EOM features this month.
We skipped a post Tuesday, March 24 as Suzi was in the hospital recovering from a heart attack.
She returned to work the following week to write the Our Lady of Peace print partner feature and coordinate vendors, marketing, and logistics for Idyll Time’s 2nd Thursday Night Markets.
We’re grateful she’s recovering and gradually getting back to more office hours.
