Fred McCurdy, a civil engineer by education, first discovered his interest in the lighting industry at MacBeth Corp., where he started working as a salesman after graduating from college. It was the post-World War II years, where business was starting to boom, and the black and white world of film, movies and magazines was shifting to color.
By 1975, McCurdy was ready to strike out on his own, starting his own company, GTI Graphic Technology, manufacturing viewing tables with special fluorescent lighting so graphic artists and all those who work with color can be sure they”™ve got the color right.
GTI”™s 30,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and showroom was born and raised in the city of Newburgh since McCurdy first opened its doors.
GTI”™s viewing stations come in a variety of sizes, from tabletop models to large standalones used by printers, graphic designers, textile manufacturers and other trades, allowing them to see the product”™s color is evenly matched and true to life ”“ from whatever angle it is viewed at.
“The best way to see the true color of any item is to hold it up in the daylight ”“ and a cloudy day shows the color best,” McCurdy said. “What our tables allow its users to do is to see the finished product in ”˜natural”™ light to determine the true color has been replicated without a hitch.”
There is a need to control and establish color conformity in any item ”“ whether it is a toolbox made of plastic to paint going to the market.
“You don”™t want to buy something that is a different color on each side. If you are creating a paint color, you want to be sure the color in the can is the one that will end up on the article being finished. The same holds true with clothing … have you ever bought something, worn it outside and noticed the sleeves do not match? Without special lighting to help you control the color quality is continuous, mistakes like that can ”“ and do ”“ happen.”
GTI”™s products comply with industry standards. While the U.S. has criteria for national standards, GTI has taken that one step further to comply with both the U.S. and international standards to be in compliance around the globe.
GTI manufacturers its color viewing stations from beginning to end ”“ from the raw materials that come in on one loading dock to the finished product that emerges at the loading dock at the other end. Prices range from $500 to $5,000. “Some are the size of microwaves,” McCurdy said. “Others are as big as walk-in closets. We design and build each unit specifically for the client”™s needs.”
Changes were already coming to his business before the Great Recession, as the Internet wave swept around the world. “More and more print business is going online, and because of that, we had already seen a drop in business,” he said.
“The recession didn”™t help. It may be officially over, but many companies are hesitating in investing in new equipment. No one knows what”™s around the corner. We are seeing business slowly pick up. At one point, we were down by 40 percent. We”™ve managed to retain our staff despite the downturn, although we haven”™t been able to add any new ones. We do hope that time will come.”
The company currently has 32 employees.
Together with Louis Chappo, vice president of manufacturing who has worked side by side with Fred McCurdy since he started the business and Fred”™s son Bob, now president of the company, the three men have grown its market both nationally and internationally. Along the way, they”™ve designed their own unique creations for others who need to be sure the color is accurate. The automobile industry is one that has enlisted the aid of GTI for its color quality control ”“ just one innovation of which McCurdy is proud.
While McCurdy didn”™t experience much competition from overseas when starting out, “The Internet has changed that. As a result, GTI has become more aggressive with our own marketing and has representatives here in the U.S. and in 43 countries. We participate in international trade shows ”“ a recent one in Barcelona, Spain held by textile manufacturers, was an excellent venue for us.
“Wherever there is a need for colors to be true to life, we have a presence,” McCurdy said. “We”™ve grown our overseas business 20 percent and expect to see it grow further because we have a great product.”
And the Internet? “We are starting to see business from them as well. They want to make sure their websites”™ colors are true. … and we”™ve created a special viewing station for that as well.”
