About Us

Vision:

Our Why: We do the job right to live a great life.

Mission:

Our What:  We are a software business that provides photo ID issuance services, systems, and supplies

Guarantee:

If your photo ID badge does not look or work right, we will overnight a replacement for free!

Our Badging Business:

• Trusted and Secure Outsourced Photo ID Badge Printing Services

  • eXpress badging provides outsourced photo ID printing services to organizations across North America. We specialize in printing and issuing high-tech photo ID badges. We print and ship hundreds of thousands of badges annually with our fleet of badge printers and securely-hosted software. Our team integrates proven ID badge technology within your organization’s time and attendance, security door access, point of sale, tracking, and single sign-on systems using standard ID badges, ID cards, tokens, and mobile devices. Our facility is staffed with highly trained personnel who can handle large volumes of photo ID badge productions, with outputs exceeding 10,000 units fulfilled and shipped daily. All of our operations are conducted with the utmost security and care to ensure the safety of our clients and their employees.

• Sales, Installation, and Support of Onpremise Photo ID Badge Printing Systems

  • eXpress badging also has decades of experience in sales and support of photo ID badge management systems. We have identification solutions for all types of organizations, large and small. We support hundreds of on-premises badging systems nationwide as a single goto solutions partner. eXpress badging is an authorized provider in what we believe to be the best-in-industry line of photo ID systems products. We are your sales and support office for all the lines we are trained to represent.

• Consultative Photo Identification Issuance Approach

  • eXpress badging uses a consultative solution approach versus a product-oriented one. We help determine the best and most effective configuration of products and services for our customer’s needs with careful listening and focused questions. This is our proven technique for doing it right the first time! We are not just talking about the badge itself, but selecting the correct badge holder configurations, ideal issuance models, determining the best method of badge system enrollment of new cards, and most importantly. We cover eight key points of discovery!

  • We help you determine the following:

    • Is contracted photo ID issuance best for your organization?

    • Is an on-premises photo ID system best for your organization?

    • When is it best to use both?

Our Badging Experience:

• eXpress badging was started in 1993 and is 51% woman-owned. Due to our decades of industry experience, we have extensive knowledge and expertise in custom printed identification products, identification technology, application systems (software/hardware) sales, installation, training, and support.

• We provide a high degree of competence in authentication data management. Regularly, our technical support team works with data that is integrated with other disparate systems (HRIS, SIS, POS, door access, time and attendance, tracking, etc.) using unique badge numbers that are typically linked to a unique employee and/or non-employee numbers; and most likely include a referenced unique identity photograph. We also understand the many complexities of card technologies and how they play their part in the data collection environment. They make it challenging when creating an efficient and secure data sharing gateway that we manage easily when done correctly.

• Our largest market segment is healthcare, and we understand their complex identity management needs. Other customers include local, city, and state governments, small businesses to Fortune 100 corporations, education, and non-profit organizations.

Our Cloud Badging Software Innovative Spirit:

We have all heard the proverb, “Necessity is the mother of innovation” (author unknown). Here is a short story about how eXpress badging became a developer and market supplier of an industry-leading cloud-based photo ID management software solution.

What is known as “The Spark” in 2011, the mobile device was becoming more mainstream, and the Internet of Things (IoT) was gaining traction. It was just a matter of time before this little mobile PC in our pocket would change the world, and eXpress badging wanted to be an agent of change.  No solution on the market would meet the needs of a mobile-friendly virtual ID badge. So, after a decade of research, source code development, onboarding customers, collaboration with best-in-class identity partners, and consolation, eXpress badging solely owns and manages their cloud-based badging software called the Veonics® Portal.

eXpress badging uses the Veonics Portal to securely print large volumes of badges annually for their “We Print for you” customers as an IDaas program. We also offer software as a service business, and our “You Print on-premises” customers use the Veonics Portal to print badges directly onsite.  Today, the Veonics Portal is thriving with features like Remote Photo Capture, a mobile-friendly Veonics Virtual ID badge, and the ability to integrate with large system databases, making the Veonics Portal stand out from the market newcomers.

About Us – IDentify our Management

Laina French – Chief Financial Officer – 51%er

Florida Certified Business Enterprise (CBE) certification / Woman Owned

Laina French established eXpress badging® in 1993 and possesses over 30 years of experience running her own business. She is a highly skilled professional with a solid finance and business operations background. She initially managed all aspects of the business except sales and marketing. She grew the business through a referral network by providing outsourced badging services to her customers. In 2003, she transitioned the business from a home-based sole proprietorship to a corporation by partnering with her husband, Joe. Laina is passionate about finance operations and ensures that eXpress badging is financially responsible and profitable.

Before starting her business, Mrs. French was an administrative manager for two emerging companies specializing in advertising and purchasing in the hospitality industry. She has a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Central Florida, which she applies to delegate effectively and direct executive efforts at eXpress badging.

Joe French – President & Visionary – 49%er

Mr. French is a subject matter expert with over 35 years of experience in the photo identification issuance industry. He strongly believes in customer-centricity and uses a servant leadership team approach to lead the business into the future. He has achieved notable accomplishments throughout his career, including developing a CRM software solution in 1987 to manage his sales territory. In 1993, he presented the concept of contracted badging services to his employer, which was the foundation for his wife’s company, eXpress badging, which soon became one of his key customers. He also co-authored the scope of work used to build one of the first cloud-based identification management software tools used in employee ID badge issuance – the Veonics Portal®, released in 2015.

Before eXpress badging, Mr. French worked in the industry for over 15 years, specializing in sales and sales management. He also worked as a smart-card product manager, delivering high-tech photo identification solutions throughout the United States. In 2003, he joined forces with his wife to manage the sales and marketing efforts of eXpress badging. He holds an Associate of Arts degree from Seminole State College, with a curriculum focus on Marketing and Computer Science. Mr. French began his career in sales in 1984, selling copy machines in Orlando, Florida, with an aim to “reach for the stars.” Leo Burnett

Throughout his professional career, Mr. French has been involved with ASIS International locally in Brevard County, Florida, and at a national level with the Identification Systems Dealers Association. He has held various positions within these organizations, from President to webmaster.  Another passion of Mr. French is helping other entrepreneurs in their journey to build replicable and successful businesses. As a member of the CEO Nexus Roundtable and Cup Holder, Mr. French keeps his pencil sharp, networking with other leaders and entrepreneurs in his community.

Nick French  – Vice President & Integrator – Future-%er

In 2020, Nick French took over as the finance director, replacing his mother, Laina, and worked closely with his father, Joe, to integrate EOS and Traction throughout eXpress badging. By the end of 2022, Nick became the company’s first Vice President and EOS Integrator. He is responsible for directing the daily functions and running key leadership meetings. Nick has gone on to implement PI (Predictive Index®) and created a business culture with his DNA all over it. For example, he instituted Remote Workday Credits, allowing employees to temporarily work anywhere worldwide if productivity is maintained throughout eXpress badging.

Nick French started his badging career at 15 and worked part-time in marketing efforts at tradeshows. His responsibilities included printing event badges, handing out literature at the booth, and maintaining the website. After working in the Badge Production department, Nick went to college and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from UCF. While still in college, he was promoted to sales and successfully managed a defined customer base until graduation. Nick left eXpress badging to pursue his lifelong dream of surfing for two-plus years before returning to the company in March 2020. Check out Straight South for cool surf videos featuring the French Brothers!

The Company & Team

Today, the French’s thrive on the fast-paced, customer-oriented environment of managing and marketing their identification solutions business. eXpress badging adopted the EOS Worldwide (Entrepreneurial Operating System) following the Traction model in 2019, which is used daily, creating a replicable model that generates consistent results. In 2023, eXpress badging was nominated as a 2022 recipient of GrowFL Top 50 Companies to Watch® backed by the Edward Lowe Foundation. The French’s maintain their unsurpassed level of business and ID expertise by staying on top of the latest identification technology advances, allowing eXpress badging to deliver the industry’s most efficient, innovative, and up-to-date photo identity solutions. Their primary focus is motivating the entire eXpress badging team to maintain and provide stellar customer service and technical support to their loyal customer base, who are more like partners.

The company operates under three main departments: Administrative, Customer Development, and Operations, each with a director managing their team. Keep an eye out for another French working his way up the ranks.