If you’re at home right now, maybe you’ve got some yogurt in the refrigerator. If you’re in the car, you might have a pen in the cup holder. Probably one of those free pens you got from a bank, or an insurance company, or the plumber. And if you’re at your desk, you more than likely have a computer keyboard in front of you. 

All these items have something in common. The keyboard has keys with letters printed on them. The pen has a name and phone number printed on it. And the yogurt has a pastoral scene and the container’s contents printed on it.

All this printing is done by specialized printers that transfer ink onto all these various odd shaped surfaces.

One of these printing methods is called Ink-jet. And one of the well-known brands of inkjet printing is LogoJet. In 2015 Logojet was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing companies in America. Previous companies who have made it onto this list include Pandora, Toys R Us, and 7-11.

Unlike these other companies, LogoJet is right here in Lafayette. Its founder and president is Susan Cox.  

Long before anyone had figured out to how to put a logo on a plastic yogurt container, people were putting images on flat surfaces – like canvas. They used a much slower and more painstaking method. A small brush. Coming up with an idea, painting it onto canvas, framing it with wood, and selling it – that’s a business model that’s stood the test of time. Even though we can print thousands of images an hour, or steal them off the internet, we still greatly value original, hand created paintings of artists. 

Especially those whose work records and reflects our unique culture. Like the striking and beautiful paintings of Lafayette artist, Herb Roe. 

This is a fascinating conversation that demonstrates the incredible breadth of businesses and occupations in Acadiana. It’s also a great lesson in the science of oil painting, the nature of entrepreneurship, and the triumph of love over all.

Photos at Cafe Vermilionville by Gwen Aucoin.