Bizport CEO Glenn Childress leans on a stack of large signs for the upcoming bike race event. Photos by Michael Schwartz.
When the UCI Road World Championships cycling event arrives in Richmond next month, there’s one downtown company that’s sure to have its eye on something other than the bikes and spandex-clad riders zipping by its office.
Bizport, a locally based print shop headquartered at 9 N. Third St., was recently awarded the contract to produce all the signs to be used during the race.
While neither Bizport nor race organizers would discuss the financial specifics of the deal, Bizport CEO Glenn Childress said it encompasses “tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of signage.”
“It will be the biggest job of this size I think in Richmond, definitely the biggest we’ve done at Bizport,” Childress said. “We’re looking at thousands of different pieces, from the start/finish lines structures, to all the signs that go all along the course.”
It’s a huge get for the company, Childress said, and will give Bizport the chance to showcase its work to in-person spectators and an international television audience during the course of the race from Sept. 19-27.
Bizport won the job after responding in May to an RFP. For Childress, the bid got his competitive juices flowing for two reasons: It gave his company a chance to go up against some large national players, and he’s an avid cyclist who’s excited to see the racers ride into Richmond.
“Being a lifelong cyclist, it was really important to me to win the bid,” Childress said.
Bizport is located on the race course close to the finish line.
BizPort was one of 10 printing companies that bid on the signage contract. The company has plenty of experience printing signs of all sorts for sporting events, particularly in Richmond for locally based Sports Backers. But Childress said the win for the UCI race will give the company extra clout to start going after bigger events.
“We feel very secure in our place being the premier provider for big events, but to be on the world stage is obviously going to put us in the ballpark with national players, whom we beat out for this bid,” he said.
Childress is also particularly excited about the fact that he’ll be able to look out his office window on Third Street and enjoy the fruits of his company’s labor and his hobby sport.
“We’re literally landlocked between Broad and Main where the race is, which is great because I get to look out my window and see all the signage we produce,” he said.
Childress said the company was able to throw its hat in the ring with those large competitors because of its recent leap to make a big investment in printing equipment upgrades. It spent $1.2 million since December 2013 on two large HP flatbed printers that use latex-based ink and a digital cutter and router that print pretty much anything on any raw material.
To fill the order for the bike race, Childress said Bizport began the work earlier this month and has five to seven people working two shifts at its Richmond shop and its facility in Virginia Beach.
The company’s massive printers have already begun churning out signage for the race.
“As we get closer toward the race dates when the signage is due, we’ll probably increase that capacity,” Childress said.
Bizport Account Executive Daniel Riddle is overseeing the day-to-day of the project.
Its other 50 or so employees will maintain the company’s normal jobs, which include work for law firms, construction companies and other clients.
Bizport’s win is one of many contracts that were put out for bid by the race’s organizers. The event is overseen by a group called Richmond 2015. It hired Medalist Sports, an Atlanta-based company that specifically produces cycling events, to act similar to a general contractor and facilitate many pieces of the race organization, including managing RFPs and contracts.
Paul Shanks, a spokesman for Richmond 2015, said most of the contracts that were put out for bid have been awarded and will be announced more over the next couple of weeks. They include awards for services such as catering, staffing, fencing, merchandising and infrastructure.
Bizport CEO Glenn Childress leans on a stack of large signs for the upcoming bike race event. Photos by Michael Schwartz.
When the UCI Road World Championships cycling event arrives in Richmond next month, there’s one downtown company that’s sure to have its eye on something other than the bikes and spandex-clad riders zipping by its office.
Bizport, a locally based print shop headquartered at 9 N. Third St., was recently awarded the contract to produce all the signs to be used during the race.
While neither Bizport nor race organizers would discuss the financial specifics of the deal, Bizport CEO Glenn Childress said it encompasses “tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of signage.”
“It will be the biggest job of this size I think in Richmond, definitely the biggest we’ve done at Bizport,” Childress said. “We’re looking at thousands of different pieces, from the start/finish lines structures, to all the signs that go all along the course.”
It’s a huge get for the company, Childress said, and will give Bizport the chance to showcase its work to in-person spectators and an international television audience during the course of the race from Sept. 19-27.
Bizport won the job after responding in May to an RFP. For Childress, the bid got his competitive juices flowing for two reasons: It gave his company a chance to go up against some large national players, and he’s an avid cyclist who’s excited to see the racers ride into Richmond.
“Being a lifelong cyclist, it was really important to me to win the bid,” Childress said.
Bizport is located on the race course close to the finish line.
BizPort was one of 10 printing companies that bid on the signage contract. The company has plenty of experience printing signs of all sorts for sporting events, particularly in Richmond for locally based Sports Backers. But Childress said the win for the UCI race will give the company extra clout to start going after bigger events.
“We feel very secure in our place being the premier provider for big events, but to be on the world stage is obviously going to put us in the ballpark with national players, whom we beat out for this bid,” he said.
Childress is also particularly excited about the fact that he’ll be able to look out his office window on Third Street and enjoy the fruits of his company’s labor and his hobby sport.
“We’re literally landlocked between Broad and Main where the race is, which is great because I get to look out my window and see all the signage we produce,” he said.
Childress said the company was able to throw its hat in the ring with those large competitors because of its recent leap to make a big investment in printing equipment upgrades. It spent $1.2 million since December 2013 on two large HP flatbed printers that use latex-based ink and a digital cutter and router that print pretty much anything on any raw material.
To fill the order for the bike race, Childress said Bizport began the work earlier this month and has five to seven people working two shifts at its Richmond shop and its facility in Virginia Beach.
The company’s massive printers have already begun churning out signage for the race.
“As we get closer toward the race dates when the signage is due, we’ll probably increase that capacity,” Childress said.
Bizport Account Executive Daniel Riddle is overseeing the day-to-day of the project.
Its other 50 or so employees will maintain the company’s normal jobs, which include work for law firms, construction companies and other clients.
Bizport’s win is one of many contracts that were put out for bid by the race’s organizers. The event is overseen by a group called Richmond 2015. It hired Medalist Sports, an Atlanta-based company that specifically produces cycling events, to act similar to a general contractor and facilitate many pieces of the race organization, including managing RFPs and contracts.
Paul Shanks, a spokesman for Richmond 2015, said most of the contracts that were put out for bid have been awarded and will be announced more over the next couple of weeks. They include awards for services such as catering, staffing, fencing, merchandising and infrastructure.