Ridgefield Park, NJ - Agfa Graphics announced today that Coastal Printing & Graphics of Shallotte, North Carolina, have been using Agfa's workflow systems, thermal plate solutions and CtP to improve the company's ecological footprint and reduce hazardous waste, all while maintaining high-quality output for its customers.  

A family-run business founded in 1988, Coastal Printing & Graphics has transitioned into a technologically-savvy and eco-friendly company. It has consistently upgraded hardware and software in order to stay ahead of market constraints, improve processes and better service its customers. According to Melody Bellamy, co-owner of Coastal Printing & Graphics, "We are committed to strengthening our relationships with our customers. In a down economy, we are doing better than ever because we remained focussed on providing the highest quality products and services."

In 2009, Coastal Printing & Graphics automated its shop with Agfa's :Apogee Prepress 6.0 workflow and installed Agfa's :Avalon N4 CtP platesetter running :Azura TS thermal plates. Agfa's :Apogee Prepress and :Avalon N4 gave Coastal Printing & Graphics advanced automation capabilities, enabling the company to speed up the printing process, provide fast turnaround to its customers and offer minimal lag time between customer requests and production. Agfa's :Azura TS plates helped Coastal reduce costs and contribute to its sustainability initiatives. Concurrently, Coastal Printing & Graphics invested in recycling equipment so that it could repurpose paper, cardboard and newsprint. Its annual recycling efforts are the equivalent of planting 250,000 trees!

Bellamy stated "Overall we are extremely happy. We have been able to eliminate 100% of chemistry costs in the prepress department. We have also reduced water consumption by over 20% and our energy costs by 50%. Plus, we are producing jobs in less time and delivering better quality." Bellamy also offered "But the proof is in the finished product. At the 43rd PICA Awards, Coastal Printing & Graphics took home 14 awards for excellence in printing. The Agfa solutions helped us meet our business and environmental objectives but the awards are a great extra benefit!"