From guitar studies to computer graphics

Paul Verhoogt, a 28-year old Dutchman, studied classical guitar and recording techniques at Hague and Amsterdam Music Academy.

“Unfortunately, I did not graduate, because of a tendon problem. Then I worked for a short time with a tourism agency, where I used to be a guide for trips to West Africa. My second job was a programmer in C language, with a Dutch firm. This is when I became interested in computer graphics.”

The usual working day at Profile Graphics begins at 9.30 am. The customers, more or less hurried, have already placed orders.

At 10 o’clock, there is noise everywhere: clients and employees speak on the mobile or fixed phone. Others ask for details about the work or discuss about deadlines.

The owner of Profile Graphics, Paul Verhoogt, first came to Romania in 1990, as he was on a trip. Then, he found more about the business environment in Romania.

“Everything was at the beginning back then. I liked the challenge and I decided to start a business here. Initially, I was thinking about a chalet in the mountains, but, for many other reasons and urged by a momentary impulse, I decided to start up a pre-press and PC graphics company.”

This business was established quite late, in 1993. “A friend of mine, a Romanian I had met during that holiday, became my partner later. His experience in DTP and pre-press was decisive for the company’s future core business.”

After two years of partnership, in 1995, they separated for “incompatibility reasons.”

The company’s initial capital of DM70,000 was aimed at investments. “DM20,000 of this amount were my personal savings, while the rest of them had been borrowed from Dutch banks,” Verhoogt specified.

“We started with three PCs, an image-setter, a printer and a scanner. I have invested about DM500,000 in this company over the past seven and a half years, and the entire amount came from profits.”