MXP Chatter: Decal Works’ Ron Joynt

Decal Works’ Ron Joynt is a true competitor, whether it’s on a race track, in a hockey arena or in business. He has been the man behind the Illinois based graphic company Decal Works for over 20 years and has helped grow the company from the ground up.  He has a deep love for Motocross and he supports the sport on both sides of the border.  We recently caught up with Ron to see how things were going in life and in business.

MXP: First off Ron, I think our readers should know that the only time you had available to talk was on a Sunday afternoon and you’re at the office!.  What are you doing at work on a Sunday?

Ron Joynt: Decal Works never sleeps I guess, it has to be that way. I sometimes come in on a Sunday just to get caught up because it is so wide open here during the week. You know, we have two seasons here at Decal Works, a busy season from about July to early November, and then the rest of the year is our super busy season. Especially now, it’s just crazy with Christmas and the 2013 season right around the corner. We are just getting hammered right now. So that is why we are talking on a Sunday.

Q:  So there really is no off-season at Decal Works.

A:  No, definitely not. This time of year we do a lot of Thanksgiving specials so people start ordering graphics in November, new bikes are being bought and the riders want them to look good, and then on the west coast everyone is trying to get ready for Supercross and the 2013 season. We love it though. It’s good to be busy. It’s winter so there is nothing better to do than work. It gets dark at four o’clock so what else are you going to do?

Q:  Good point! How many years has it been for you and Decal Works?

A: This will be our 23^rd year going strong. It’s hard to believe that it has been that long but time flies. When we started the company we called it SoCal and we were just a casual wear company. Then it started to evolve a little; since we were already doing stickers and some one-off decals, we decided to go one step further and create full Decal kits for riders. That was about 1995 when we started the Decal Works portion of the company. We kept the two names for a while but the graphic part really started to take off, so in 2007 we dropped the two names and just went with Decal Works.

Q: With 23 years in business, you have seen a lot happen in this industry that is out of your control with regards to the economy. What have you done to stay competitive in the face of two recessions, one in the early ‘90s and the most recent one?

A:  Well, it’s not easy, that’s for sure. Everyone certainly has to buckle down and be a little cautious, but having said that I am a firm believer in staying aggressive. I think with the most recent economic slowdown we have relied on two things. First, we have always been an innovative company and we take great pride in that. I would say that 99% of graphic companies in our industry are using techniques that we did first. Secondly, we at Decal Works are extremely big on customer service and we are always looking at ways to improve. So innovation and customer service are what we have built Decal Works on and it would take a lot more than a recession to change that.

Q:  It sounds like a great business model and it obviously has been working. What were you doing before you were wide open with Decal Works?

A: Not much. I just grew up loving moto and hockey, probably like a lot of Canadians, maybe that’s why I love you guys so much (laughs). I started playing hockey at five years old and took it fairly far; I played some pretty competitive stuff. I also rode a lot of BMX when I was a kid and that led me to motocross. Once I got into motocross I was instantly in love with it and it eventually took over hockey as far as competing. I raced for a while and had some good results and a few injuries like everyone goes through, and then racing led me to start this business. It has been a long, painful road but very enjoyable. I wouldn’t change too much actually.

Q:  Wasn’t there a period where you raced go karts as well?

A:  Yes, I raced shifter karts for seven years. That was after I started the business so it was a crazy time in my life. I was so busy with work during the week and then I was racing karts on the weekends against these kids that had dreams of going to NASCAR or Indy Cars. It would be a like a guy working all week and then going to race the Lites class at a Supercross. It was one of those things that was a lot of fun, but really tough and expensive.

Q:  So it is safe to say that you are a very competitive person and that has served you well not only in hockey and racing, but also in business.

A: Yes, I would say that is true. I think I strive to be the best regardless of what I am doing, that is my nature. It’s funny, even at breakfast this morning my wife could see in my eyes that I was thinking about getting into the office today and getting stuff done. I think in life you just have to keep trying to move ahead. That is the attitude I’ve had all of my life and I try to bring it into work every day.

Q: You have always been very supportive of Canadian Motocross, whether it has been with sponsorship or advertising. How important is Canada to Decal Works?

A: Canada has always been great to us. We do a lot of business up there and I follow Canadian moto pretty close. We advertise with MXP and we help out a few riders. It’s a big market in Canada and you guys are very passionate about the sport. Any country that loves hockey as much as Canada does is okay in my books (laughs).

Q: If a Canadian rider wanted to get a set of cool Decal Works graphics, what is the easiest way for them to do that?

A: The best way is for them to go to www.decalmx.com and have a look at everything and figure out exactly what they want. Then they can either create an account and order that way or call us and we’ll handle everything over the phone. Shipping to Canada is no problem so it’s really easy for Canadians to get our products. It’s not too late to get something done before Christmas so give us a call.

Q: You have obviously followed motocross a long time and through a few different eras.  Who would you say is your favourite rider, your favourite bike and your favourite race of all time?

A: Well I am definitely an old school guy so I love anything two-stroke, for sure. I would have to say James Stewart as the rider, the KX250 two-stroke he rode as the bike, and any race from those Stewart/Reed/Carmichael years when it seemed like they battled every race. Do you remember those years? They were amazing, just two-strokes screaming, those guys were trying so hard to stay low in the air, and fourth place was like a mile back. I will never forget that.

Q: That was a great era of racing, for sure. I guess I won’t ask you about how you like four-strokes and the racing these days.

A: I still love the racing but the bikes are just beasts right now, too much for almost all of the riders to handle. Actually, maybe they’re too much for everyone to handle. Look at all the huge get-offs you see by the top riders. You never saw that 15 years ago.

Q:  The sport has definitely changed and it seems like there is only so much that can be done to make it safer. You can’t ride around in a bubble. I will ask you one more question and then you can get back to work. Give us your favourite hockey moment.

A: I have had a few, that’s for sure, but my favourite has to be when the Chicago Black Hawks won the Stanley Cup a few years ago. Since we live close to Chicago I went to every round of the playoffs that year and the United Center was just off the charts. It was just unreal to be a part of that playoff run. I hope we get to go through it again soon. We even made it into one of the Hockey Night in Canada pregame intros standing outside the United Center.

Q:  That does sound like a lot of fun and I’ve seen that clip on You Tube, you guys were pumped. I think it will be a long time until we experience something like that in Toronto.  Well Ron, thanks for doing this. All the best and Happy Holidays to you, your family and everyone at Decal Works.

A:  Same to you guys and everyone in Canada. Can I ask you a question, who is your pick for Supercross in 2013.

Q:  I am a huge Chad Reed fan, but for the Championship I think I will have to go with Villopoto.

A:  I agree, but I think it’s going to be a great series. All the best MXP!