All the Elements of Success

Dan Bulat, owner and founder of Element Graphics in Mokena, Illinois, has assembled all the right elements for success – and his formula is working perfectly. Dan started Element Graphics in an extra bedroom back in 1992, and since then his shop has grown to employ a staff of seven, providing top-quality designs and graphics for businesses of all sizes.  

We talked with Dan and his designer Kylie Dryier, about how he grew his shop from a side hustle to a full-on production powerhouse with award-winning designs, now based in a facility where skilled installers can wrap up to 10 cars at once. 

Tell us how it all began. 

Dan Bulat:  After dabbling in designing and producing decals and stickers, I decided to start my own business. I acquired a 30-inch plotter, and in 1992, Element Graphics was born.  

“ Having state-of-the-art production equipment enables us to achieve our goals. ”

I started my company from a spare bedroom in in my condo, then moved operations to the basement of my first home.  Twenty years ago, we moved the shop to our current location. 

What is Element Graphics like today? 

Kylie Dryier: We have a large 4,000-square-foot facility in a business complex in the suburbs of Chicago. It includes a production area, offices for the designers, a waiting/reception area, and a vehicle graphics bay that can accommodate almost any size vehicle.  

Dan: In addition to myself and Kylie, our staff includes several other designers and installers. Most of us take on multiple roles, which helps everyone understand all aspects of the business.  We all wear many hats! 

What type of production equipment do you have these days? 

Dan: We are currently using a Roland DG TrueVIS VG2-640 and a VG3-640, both 64-inch wide-format eco-solvent printers. We’ve had Roland DG printers for many years, and we have always loved the way they print. We also appreciate the quality and reliability of our Roland DG inkjets. 

We believe in keeping our production equipment up to date, both for speed and for the newer color options. With the VG3, we’re able to run a wider color gamut. Having two printer/cutters also means we can take on many different projects at one time. The fact that they are Roland machines means we can count on them running all day, every day, without any problems – which is really helpful when you have 30-foot trailers to wrap. 

What types of graphics do you specialize in?  

Dan: About 90 percent of our business is vehicle graphics. Of that, maybe 15 percent is for personal vehicles – things like chrome deletes and color changes. Most of the jobs we take on involve fleet work. We also provide custom graphics design, logo design, and environmental graphics for our corporate clients. 

What types of clients do you serve? 

Dan: We do work for all types of businesses – from solo entrepreneurs on up to large industry clients. We also provide graphics for auto dealerships, and for emergency vehicle fleets including police, fire, municipal, EMS, and Park Districts. 

How do your customers find you?  

Kylie: Our customers see our work on social media or find our website with a Google search. Many clients also hear about us from friends or associates. 

There’s a lot of competition in vehicle graphics these days. Why do you think your customers choose Element Graphics? 

Kylie:  I think clients our clients appreciate that we are efficient and do high-quality work. Our professional design services, production, and installation skills are complemented by outstanding customer service, which keeps our clients coming back. 

What lies ahead for your shop? 

Dan:  We are always looking for ways to expand our current business. We want to add new customers, while continuing to provide our existing customers with the finest graphics possible. Having state-of-the-art production equipment enables us to achieve our goals.