Complete Print Shop, Inc.
Rich Dad Special Achievement in Entrepreneurship Award
Lam Q. Bui fled his homeland near the end of the Vietnam War. He remembers embarking by boat at 10:46 a.m. April 30, 1975, on the journey that would change his life.
The refugee, fluent in French, had been a law student and an officer in the South Vietnamese Airborne. After he arrived in Phoenix, he told a newspaper business journalist how he planned to succeed: "I have two hands and two feet. I want to depend on those. I work."
And work Lam did. At first, he swept floors, scraped gum and cleaned toilets. He joked that he became a car-wash expert. His first experiences in the printing industry were at Greyhound and Addressograph Multigraph.
Company Profile
Name of Business: Complete Print Shop, Inc.
Nature of Business: Full-service commerical printing
Address: 3433 W. Earll Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85017
Web: www.completeprintshop.com
Founded: 1979
Employees: 22
"Owning a business is hard work. Everybody makes mistakes, but try to do it right the first time. It’s hard work. You’ll be tired, but happy. Never give up."
-Lam Bui, President and CEO
Complete Print Shop, Inc.
In December 1979, Lam opened Complete Print Shop with $600, one employee and two small presses in 1,200 square feet. With a focus on quality service at low prices, the business has grown each of the last 27 years. Now, the shop runs two shifts, five days a week in a 26,000 square foot facility.
Lam’s employees are key to his philosophy of “doing whatever it takes to fill a customer’s needs.” He also invests in technology and training to ensure that he remains innovative and competitive in a rapidly changing industry.
While Lam looks ahead, he also honors the past. His leadership helped build a Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Phoenix in 2001. South Vietnam and United States flags fly side by side. Lam also volunteers at a local refugee center, encouraging people to make the most of free enterprise in a free society.
