Moapa Valley Progress Newspaper

Sports & Recreation

Opinion

Upcoming Events

Citizens Center

Forecast Radar Cameras

The Local Shopper
More Than Just Signs And Banners

	By Vernon Robison Moapa Valley Progress Published July 1, 2009 The little Graph-X store in downtown Overton is much more than meets the eye. It is certainly more than the average commercial graphics shop. The store offers a veritable cornucopia of products and services, some that aren't available anywhere else in town. Store owner and operator, Roxanne LaBeau is dedicated to providing essential and valuable service to the community. "I have learned that in		Roxanne LaBeau is the owner and operator of Graph-X in downtown Overton.

	a one horse town like this one, you can't just sell one kind of fruit," LaBeau said. "You have to offer the whole fruit salad." As a commercial graphics shop alone, Graph-X is remarkable. LaBeau's customers praise her services as being on par with most big city stores. "Roxanne is great!" said David Cook, real estate broker at Keller Williams Realty in Overton. "I just have found that her price, quality and speed of service are every bit as good as you can find anywhere. I'm just happy that she is here." Graph-X can create custom signs on just about any surface including vinyl and cloth banners, and metal, wood or plastic signs. While her store isn't as fancy as a big box office supply chain, LaBeau does offer most of the same essential supplies and services for the home or office. She carries a wide variety of office supplies including printer supplies, ink and toner refills, filing systems, file folders of various style and size, preprinted receipts and forms, office stamps, white boards large and small, foam core boards, poster boards and cardboard presentation boards. And she can accomodate anything that a customer wants. "If a customer needs it and requests me to carry it, I'll figure out how to get it in stock and I'll keep it in inventory so they can get more here when they run out," LaBeau said. Graph-X also offers a fairly extensive print and copy service. The store can provide both black and white and color copying as well as fax service. LaBeau can also do business cards, invitations, badge engraving, custom T-shirts and decals, logo designs, and custom printed ribbons or mementos for weddings or other special occasions. LaBeau is particularly fond of one of her newest offerings: custom bumper stickers. One of her favorites reveals a bit of her political leaning. It reads, "Honk If I'm Paying Your Mortgage". Graph-X also offers a basic binding service. "I have found that a lot of people in the valley are writers," LaBeau said. "People are writing novels, histories, children's books and more. I decided that I needed to be equipped to offer simple binding service to customers." LaBeau also prints and binds employee instruction and training manuals for many of the local merchants. In fact, there seems to be no end to the services she is willing to provide for local business. On the day of the Progress interview we found LaBeau writing a full and detailed business plan for a client. "I have had a lot of experience starting small businesses," she said. "I enjoy doing this kind of thing." In a back room of the store, LaBeau also operates her other business, an interior design service called La Belle Maison. LaBeau is a wizard with beautiful fabrics and colors. She received her education at the Fabrics Institute at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. LaBeau has worked as a Fashion Designer in New York and San Francisco. She also worked as a buyer for major department stores for a time. "I love to work with people to make what they have in their home align better with what they want," LaBeau said of her interior design business. Roxanne told a story of an experience earlier that day when a man rode into the parking lot on a Harley Davidson motorcycle and came in to speak with her. "You've got to help me," he said. His wife had decorated their home herself and he couldn't stand it, LaBeau said. Most of the work for Graph-X and La Belle Maison is done by Roxanne right in the shop. But for the things that she is not able or equipped to do, she taps into an extensive network of skilled helpers. "I utilize a lot of local talent and services that is provided by people right here in town," she said. Roxanne uses local painters, upholsterers, seamstresses, engravers and much more. "That keeps the money here in the community," she said. "It spreads the wealth and more directly benefits the residents in town here." TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! Comment on this story. Send a letter to the editor by email, click here: *EMAIL US*

free web stats