Houma’s Kwik Kopy Business Center raises the bar

Owning a business is nothing new for Joey Cehan, but his present career is a far cry from his previous occupation as a marine electrical contractor.

Cehan said machines have always intrigued him. The 43-year-old was ready to get out of the oilfield industry, and his family was ready to follow.

He jumped into the business world head first after high school graduation, inspecting boats, barges and rigs with his father Joe Cehan. Eventually, he started his own business, which he ran for six years.

As a business owner, community involvement has always been a high priority. Cehan is the president of the Terrebonne Port Commission, a member of the Houma Terrebonne Chamber of Commerce and a member of the South Central Industrial Association.

And he owns Kwik Kopy Business Center in Houma. Cehan purchased the business from previous owner Don Underwood a couple of days before Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

For the most part, Cehan dodged a major bullet. The business was only closed for two weeks. While others were starting their lives over as a result of the natural disaster, Cehan was embarking on another type of project.

Cehan and Underwood were brought together while Cehan was performing a home inspection, which is another of his business ventures, on Underwood’s new house in Thibodaux.

Cehan discovered that Underwood was looking to sell KKBC. Although Cehan had an interest, he still wasn’t quite sure it would be a feasible opportunity for him.

Cehan said Underwood gave him some encouraging words, saying, “Nothing was impossible.”

“Don made me a deal that was too good to be true,” he said.

Over the course of the buyout, Cehan said he and Underwood became really good friends. Underwood was even present when the Cehans were transacting business with the bank to purchase the copy shop.

Underwood paved the way for them to make a change into a different market, one that has proven to be successful for the Houma natives.

Kwik Kopy produces large format items in a professional and eye-catching way, Cehan said. The company does mainly business-to-business sales and doesn’t have a walk-in market.

The company has an array of services to offer, like scanning and archiving services, and engineering documents, banners, signage, billboards, exhibits, backlit signs, counter graphics, photo enlargements, wall murals, stage graphics, flags, wall coverings, window graphics and fine arts reproductions.

Cehan said the business provides a “one-stop shop” – designing, color printing and digital copying and printing.

In early September, Kwik Kopy parent company, the International Center for Entrepreneurial Development, presented the Houma business with the Shining Star Award for highest sales growth for 2005 to 2006. Cehan increased the company’s sales growth to 87 percent.

“Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have had quite an effect on housing construction in the southern parts of Terrebonne Parish and across Louisiana,” Cehan said. “And the introduction of ‘box’ stores and strip shopping centers in the area has also caused an increase in demand for construction documents.”

Cehan and his wife Connie attribute the unprecedented increase in sales to “a lot of hard work.”

“We worked the pavement and increased our outside sales,” he said.

He generated business from the medical and law industries, as did Underwood. Kwik Kopy does a great deal of scanning and archiving for the local lawyers and the court system in Houma.

Recently, Cehan said the increased business with lawyers and medical professionals who have to pass KKBC has improved the business’ sales. He said on their commute to work the potential customers would see him out front tidying up for the morning start.

His friendly wave and acknowledgment was all that was needed to jump-start business relationships with many of the law and medical offices in the area.

Cehan is sweeping up in more ways than one. Business is increasing so rapidly that he is purchasing a new scanner to keep up with the demand. Also, Kwik Kopy is on target to compete for the 2008 Shining Star Award. The company has increased sales 97 percent to date.

Kwik Kopy has introduced color and has engineered large-format printing equipment that was purchased for the center.

Currently, the business provides engineering drawings and blueprints to homebuilders and commercial construction companies in the area. The company is using a Canon ImagePROGRAF W8400 and the KIP 3000 printers.

There’s only one other company in Terrebonne Parish that can offer this kind of service. “We had to be competitive,” he said.

Cehan feels that his company is delivering these important documents with quality, speed and convenience.

In addition, the company accepts files electronically for all types of printing projects, and assists in consulting, and creating and distributing marketing materials for businesses of any size. Parcel Plus is also a part of Kwik Kopy offerings, which include packing and shipping, cargo and private mailbox rental.

Joey Cehan proudly shows off the 2007 Shining Star Award recently awarded to Kwik Kopy Business Center on Main Street in Houma. The International Center for Entrepreneurial Development presented the award based on Kwik Kopy’s sales growth. * Photo by SOPHIA RUFFIN