Inspire Series

06/24/2025 08:00 AM

Title: Depends on the day
With DG3 Since: 1989
Fun Fact: John’s been Santa Claus for so long that local kids have started recognizing his voice from the softball field—“Wait, aren’t you the umpire”

Employee Spotlight: John V Cristiano

Versatile Operations Veteran (a.k.a. DG3’s Utility Player) | DG3

John Cristiano Has Seen (and Built) It All: 36 Years of Grit, Glue, and Great Stories at DG3

There are long-timers, and then there’s John Cristiano, better known around the shop as JVC. He didn’t just witness DG3’s growth—he helped lay the foundation, both figuratively and quite literally. Officially, he started back in 1989, but to hear him tell it, it sounds more like the dawn of time: “I was number seven out of the first 12 hired,” he says, which places him somewhere between founding employee and folklore legend.

On his first day, the floors weren’t even finished. No exaggeration—JVC spent his first few weeks painting walls, building workbenches out of scrap plywood, and fashioning makeshift desks out of industrial wire spools. “If a job came in, we’d stop building and do the job,” he recalls. “Then we’d go right back to construction.”

His title back then? A four-color stripper. “And no, not that kind,” he adds. “We stripped film. You know, back when people actually touched things.”

From the early days of stripping film and cutting Ruby Lith by hand to today’s digital pre-press and desktop workflows, he watched the printing industry reinvent itself more times than he can count. And he’s adapted every single time. Now wearing roughly six job titles (depending on who’s out sick), JVC bounces between QC, scheduling, production, and the occasional cross-plant emergency. “I’m like Randy Velarde,” he says, referencing the famously versatile Yankee who could play nearly every position on the field. “I play every position. Wherever they need me, I go.”

What hasn’t changed is JVC’s commitment—to the company, to the craft, and to the people. “I’m not here to fight with anybody,” he shrugs. “Whatever it is we gotta do, let’s go.”

And then there’s Pat—the company’s COO and one of JVC’s closest friends. One of the more legendary moments in their decades-long camaraderie came not during a crisis or deadline, but shortly after JVC bought a used 1986 Corvette—a long-coveted dream. Pat had encouraged him to buy it. “Buy the car, Johnny,” he told him. “You’ve always wanted it. Just do it.”

JVC wasn’t so sure. After the thrill wore off, he found himself second-guessing the purchase. Was it really the right investment? Maybe it was a little too much money. Maybe he’d gone overboard. That’s when Pat struck.

At a morning manager’s meeting, Pat handed JVC a stack of envelopes and told him to pass them out—to everyone. Not just department heads, but folks on the shop floor, the office crew, just about the whole company. JVC, already feeling a little anxious about whether he’d overspent on the Corvette, started to worry. Was this it? Bad news? A corporate shakeup? He dutifully made the rounds, handing out the mysterious envelopes like a nervous mailman.

Then Pat told everyone to open them.

Inside? A glossy photo of JVC’s new Corvette with the caption: “Best offer: $3,000. Call Johnny.” The room erupted. “Next thing I know, I’m getting phone calls left and right,” JVC said. “Guys from the bindery were like, ‘I’ll give you two grand for it.’ Pat just looked at me and grinned—‘Got you, buddy.’ It was perfect. Absolutely nailed me.””

Outside the plant, JVC is no less of a powerhouse. He’s been married to Liliana for nearly 30 years, and their daughter Tiziana is now a Culinary Institute of America grad and restaurant manager who recently hosted Eli Manning’s daughter’s birthday party. “She’s got my personality,” he says proudly. “We can talk to anybody.”

VC also moonlights as North Arlington’s Santa Claus, complete with fire truck entrances and his daughter dressed as a helper elf. He’s coached youth softball for over two decades, umpires ASA games, and sits on the planning board, the recreation commission, and just about every community group his town can throw at him It’s no surprise the town named him Citizen of the Year.

“It’s my golf,” he says of all his volunteer work. “Some guys play 18 holes. I spend my time at the field.”

These days, JVC’s slimmed down significantly—ditching beer, soda, and the former Santa-sized physique for healthier habits and long walks with his dogs. But make no mistake: he’s still got that same booming voice and that same unmistakable energy.

John Cristiano is a living reminder that the soul of a company isn’t in the org chart or the branding deck—it’s in the people who built it from nothing, who bring that same scrappy, all-hands spirit to work every day, and who quietly model the best of what we hope to be.

“Whatever you need,” he says. “I’m here.”

And he always has been.

Why We Spotlight Our People

John Cristiano represents everything that makes DG3 great: loyalty, versatility, humility, and humor. He started with this company when it was still in startup mode—back when you had to paint the walls before you could print the jobs—and he brings that same roll-up-your-sleeves attitude to work every day. Whether he’s pitching in across departments, playing Santa for the community, or just making someone laugh with a well-timed wisecrack, JVC reminds us that the people who keep showing up, keep adapting, and keep making things better are the ones who define our culture. This spotlight is a small way of saying what everyone at DG3 already knows: we’re lucky to have him.