In June of 1997 Rick Wilson started a Calgary-based digital services company: Color Right Now, with no budget, no clients and one employee. In just ten years, Rick grew Color Right Now to over 50 full time employees, supplying services to companies ranging in size from independent businesses to national corporations.

Early on Rick’s eyes were opened to the benefits of Variable Print. In June of 2001 he purchased the first license of "V.I.P.P." (Variable Data Intelligent Postscript Printware) in Western Canada. This put Color Right Now in a leadership position with the ability to print true data driven graphics in full variable format onto paper without printing on letterhead. Understanding that one day printing forms would be non existent and that using the internet as a tool for billing, invoice presentations, and payment would become the standard Rick continued his focus on Invoice/Statement research.

In 2004 Rick incorporated Critical Document Services. A state of the art facility was created at 312 Meridian Road. The facility was designed to handle several different aspects of the mail industry, including billing applications.

In the first half of 2005, Rick signed his first major contract with a national corporation to scan, compose, print, insert and mail approximately 300 million dollars of invoices per year.

On October 1st, 2007 another addition to the Color Right Now portfolio was established: Citywide Printing. This marked a new era for Rick, he had progressed from digital print to offset printing with his new 52 DI press. Housed inside Citywide Printing (along with several AB Dick 360’s) this new press still produces the highest quality offset printing in the city. This also marked the creation of The CRN Group of companies, giving clients the ability to satisfy all of their print-related needs in one location.

In 2009 Citywide Printing and Critical Document Services were consolidated into a single building on 19th street NE, taking over the old Grafikom location. This approximately 14,000 square foot location marked a 35% increase in production floor space, giving The CRN Group the space it needed to accommodate the increased business it had acquired.

In 2011 The CRN Group added the HP FB500 flatbed printer to the machine portfolio. This versatile 6-colour inkjet printer gave The CRN Group the ability to create high-quality UV-cured signage and banners. These indoor/outdoor products are of the highest quality, produced by the latest technology available.

This is just a peek at the successful history of The CRN Group. Be a part of our future!