Blue Dog Printing & Design

Blue Dog Printing and Design

By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Contributing Writer

Meet Bill Friedmann, member of the Board of Directors of the Exton Region Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife Debi own and operate Blue Dog Printing & Design- the best doggone place to go for digital printing, graphic design, promotional product, apparel and mailing services. Founded in 2003, Blue Dog evolved from Debi’s already successful graphic design business. Bill jumped into the business full time in 2005, leaving his corporate world job of 13 years. “When we began, digital printing technology was in its infancy,” he explained. “We bypassed the offset world and jumped right in taking advantage of the technology that allows us to be more flexible and more creative- offering our clients better solutions.” They started out printing flyers, brochures, postcards and business cards. Within a couple of years, the company had added some large format equipment and expanded their offerings to include banners, posters, wall graphics and yard signs. The next big move came in 2013 when Blue Dog acquired a promotional products and apparel company, Custom Printing & Promotions. It was a natural fit that allowed Blue Dog to truly become a one-stop shop for an organization’s marketing needs. According to Bill, “We found ourselves with a nice little niche for event printing. If you are planning a gala, golf outing, or street festival, we can provide everything from invitations, posters, yard/ tee signs, program books, giveaways, tee shirts, and thank-you cards. With our graphic design capabilities, we are able to keep the look and the messaging consistent.”

Blue Dog’s clients are pretty evenly split between businesses and non-profit organizations. While they can work with folks anywhere, most of their customers are located here in Chester County. Community is tremendously important to Bill and Debi. Besides being members of the Exton Chamber, both owners are Rotarians, and dedicate hours upon hours to countless community organizations. The pandemic was not easy for Blue Dog, considering it is an events-focused business. Bill credits the relationships in the community along with their membership in the chamber as a huge help in getting through. He explained, “The Exton Region Chamber of Commerce along with the other chambers in Chester County were on the front-line advocating for the small business community. They were relentless in their fight to keep businesses open and running safely.” As for the unusual name, the idea for Blue Dog can be traced back to when Bill and Debi were newlyweds looking for their first dog together at the Brandywine Valley SPCA. “Debi had never owned a dog, so she was a little intimidated by the selection of pit bulls and Rottweilers. That’s when we noticed a dog there that had been rescued from the previous owner who had dumped blue dye all over her,” Bill said. A few years later, when starting the company, Bill brought up their now family member.

“The blue dog stood out to us,” he explained. “We want to stand out to our customers, and help our customers stand out to their customers.”

Blue Dog never strays too far from the canine theme in their marketing and even in their core values. “We stand for Unleashed Creativity, Community Loyalty, and Tail-Wagging Service. - that is what we do, that is who we are,” he said.

Blue Dog Printing & Design is located at 1039 Andrew Drive in West Chester. For more information, visit their website at www.getbluedog.com or call 610-633-5444.