By Mike Kinney
Ernest Lompa was “bound” to be in the family business.
Lompa and his father started On Line Bindery at the old Toys R Us building at 3950 Bissell Ave. in Richmond back in 1990. But his family first began in the business years ago at 13th Street and Macdonald Avenue.
Lompa still has an old newspaper clipping from 1968 announcing the launch of Lompa Printing and Lithograph, owned then by his parents Richmond and Susan Lompa. The clipping from the Richmond Independent shows Lompa as a little boy sitting in a chair.
“You might say I was simply born into this business,” Lompa said.
With On Line Bindery, Lompa carries on the family tradition. He expresses pride in hiring locally and in seeing the business grow over the years.
“We do all types of book binding such as casebound, loose leaf binding, wire-o, saddle stitching, slipcovers, custom ring binders and so many more types of printing,” Lompa said. “We as well do finishing, envelopes, folding, collating, die cutting and laminating coatings. If it is paper, we can print anything on it.”
For On Line Bindery, the key to longevity is “rooted in passion and pride, and our employees understand both.” It’s not just about having state-of-the-art equipment, but also “an organizational framework that allows for constant improvement and growth,” according to Lompa.
To learn more about On Line Bindery, visit its website here.
