Spotlight: Wrap City Graphics
by Nora m. Davis (HBCA) —JUNE 2011
I arrived at Wrap City Graphics at the appointed time and entered the building, greeted by a fearsome tiger on the left, a cute meerkat on the right, and a pot of pansies to “Help Hopkins Bloom”!
Owner Kimberly Korb and I sat down to talk about Wrap City Graphics. I asked her how she came to own Wrap City and she explained she’d come from the corporate world and had grown tired of the grind as companies were bought and sold. It was time to try something different: a small business. She found a business called Brent’s Signs, purchased it, moved it to Hopkins three years ago, and changed the name.
When asked to talk about what Wrap City Graphics does, she exclaimed, “We make stickers – from very small to very large." A review of their job book photos explained the “stickers.” Using their 54” Roland 6-color Eco-solvent Digital Printer, Wrap City Graphics can produce vibrant vinyl images, from the tiger and merkat on the front of the building to delicate leaves, artwork, and lettering. They’ve produced and installed "flames" for a number of vehicles, added business information and logos to trucks, cars, trailers and buildings – even transformed rail cars to look like Amtrak cars. (Those rail cars were transported out east to be used in a movie). And they’ve wrapped cars, vans – even an ATM! You’ll see examples of their work everywhere from the Mall of America, to Ridgedale, to the Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone and Tangletown Gardens in Minneapolis. They recently produced and installed graphics for the CPA firm Abdo Eick & Meyer, covering huge banks of windows with frosted vinyl accented with their number theme. (Note: for some great photos and videos of their work check out their website at wrapcitygraphics.com.)
But Wrap City is much more than “stickers.” They also do banners, metal signs, plaques, murals, storefront and illuminated signs, decals, wood signs, a-frames and static clings. Those banners in Downtown Hopkins? Printed by Wrap City. When asked about their most challenging job, Kimberly picked up a product box and explained that Cargill wanted a car wrapped to resemble that box. "That was a challenge—figuring out how to mold the square box to fit the rounded car—but we did it."
Wrap City Graphics is well known throughout the metro area for their custom work. Their employees are a talented crew; they can design, produce and install the job. And they are willing to try most anything—they’ve even painted basketballs.
Kimberly is equally proud of their commitment to being a "green business." They burn used motor oil to heat their facility, use Eco-Solvent inks for digital printing, and choose their suppliers based on their commitment to the environment. Nothing is wasted—scrap materials are donated to schools, daycares, and the Ronald McDonald house.
So if you’re looking to re-do that sign, need frosted vinyl for your entryway at home, or need numbers for your boat, head to Wrap City Graphics on Excelsior Blvd at 62 6th Avenue.
