Investing in technologies that improve operating efficiency, lower production costs and expand capabilities are top of mind for most print service providers (PSPs.)

According to a recent NAPCO Research survey, 65 percent of PSPs report that competing against low-cost producers is a critical/moderate challenge. At the same time, more than three-quarters of these providers are expanding the print applications they offer customers. These trends have many providers investigating the benefits of a B2+ format press.

The B2+ format offers print providers the ability to drive down costs on existing projects while opening an array of new target applications not possible on smaller format presses.

For ChromaGraphics, a second-generation commercial printing organization that produces a great deal of work for wineries in and around Sonoma County, California, the switch to UV inkjet technology enabled them to win new customers and new business from existing customers, due to the combination of versatility in choice of paper stocks, cost and speed.

“We strive to be flexible to our clients’ needs versus our processes and procedures. We needed high quality print for both short and medium run lengths on virtually any substrate that can be printed offset, with lower costs than toner and offset,” said Eric Janssen, President, ChromaGraphics.

For American Printing, a full-service printing and communication company in Madison, Wisconsin with more than 60 years in business, a B2+ press made solid financial sense. Vance Kapalczynski, President and CEO, states “The AccurioJet KM-1 is going to bring enhancements from an operational perspective, a cost savings perspective and a timeliness perspective.”

“As a company that provides both offset and digital solutions to our clients, the larger digital output of the KM-1 straddles the line between offset and digital solutions, and gives us increased flexibility to best serve our clients,” says Ronald Sizemore, Partner, Jurist Influence Group. “The larger sheet size of the KM-1 allows us to print a wider array of products on a digital platform enabling higher productivity, lower operating costs and faster turnaround times for our customers.”

DMS Ink, a minority and woman-owned enterprise in Dayton, Ohio, has thrived in the nationwide direct mail, digital print and data management industries for more than 30 years. “With the KM-1, we will be able to do postcard runs traditionally printed on an offset press at relatively the same cost, with a quicker time to the finished product. Amazing quality and substrate flexibility were important to me,” said Christine Soward, Second-generation President and CEO. “We’re always looking for a better way or to add value, and there isn’t anything that the KM-1 can’t run.”

“ColorCentric continually monitors the latest print technology in the market as a means to provide our customers with the best-in-breed print solutions,” said Andy Cooney, President, ColorCentric Corporation.  “The larger sheet size of the KM-1, coupled with the outstanding quality and reliability, offered a compelling business opportunity for ColorCentric to make our first foray into the inkjet space. Considering we installed the system immediately prior to our busiest season, the performance of the KM-1 and the support of the Konica Minolta team exceeded expectations, and we see many opportunities to continue to provide additional solutions to our customers.”

O’Neil Printing is an employee-owned, 100 year-young, print communications firm out of Phoenix, Arizona that is reimagining its business by divesting of its old facility and equipment and investing in a new state of the art facility and print technology to move forward to the next century. Anthony Narducci, President, commented, “We had an opportunity to engage with organizations with firsthand knowledge of the AccurioJet KM-1’s performance and support. It became very clear to us that it was the right device for us to go forward with expanding our capabilities.”

Zenger Group, headquartered in Tonawanda, New York is a second-generation, family-owned and operated, cutting-edge company using their strong print foundation to help brand owners market more efficiently and effectively. Steve Zenger, CEO, said, “Our philosophy has always been, if we’re going to be impacted by technology, it better be done at our hand, not at our competitor’s hand. The thing that tipped the decision to implement the KM-1 was hearing of the real-world performance in multiple installations. You’re talking about a machine that was truly engineered and built for the needs of industrial print and commercial print type applications.”

Article by: Bill Troxil | Senior Vice President, Strategic Business Development | Konica Minolta