Love’s Echo Media, the design and production center for Love’s Travel and Country Stores based in Oklahoma City, Okla., recently added Duplo’s DC-645 Slitter/Cutter/Creaser to their in-house capabilities. From direct marketing pieces to full-bleed business cards, the fully-automated DC-645 can slit, cut, crease, and perforate a variety of their digitally-printed applications in a single pass. “The DC-645 allows us to produce a box of business cards in 2 minutes, whereas previously it would take us 20,” says Eric Roth, creative and production service manager at Love’s. “We also use it for custom marketing pieces, custom cards, specialty marketing programs and in-store promotion tags. We are using it to its fullest potential. The amount of time it saves us in our finishing work is incredible.” Since installing the DC-645, the print shop now outsources less finishing work which has reduced their overall costs and turnaround times. Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores is a family-owned company operating more than 265 locations and employing almost 8,000 team members in 39 states. Annual sales exceeded $17 billion last year; ranking #18 in the Forbes privately held companies listing. Love’s is a proven leader in the travel stop industry growing at a rate of 15 locations per year. The machine was sold and installed by Duplo dealer, Print Finishing Systems.

Love’s team, pictured from left to right, Eric Roth , Michael Roberts, James Marshall, Marc Gregg and Christopher Hobart with the DC-645 Slitter/Cutter/Creaser.

With five Duplo machines now taking up their post-press area, B SQUARED, located in New York City, has recently added the DC-445 Integrated Folding System to their finishing capabilities. Incorporating the DC-445 Creaser with an in-line knife folder, the DC-445 IFS enables them to not only slit/perforate/crease, but also fold digitally-printed documents in one pass using a single system operation. B Squared is a one-stop digital print shop providing integrated graphic solutions, including marketing strategy, project management, and distribution. The machine was sold and installed by Duplo dealer, Equipment Source.  

Northwest Natural, a gas company headquartered in Portland, Ore., has expanded its off-line finishing capabilities by installing a range of Duplo machines. Removing the work from their in-line bookletmaking systems, a guillotine cutter, and an aging folder, the company has installed the DBM-350/T Bookletmaker and Trimmer connected with a DSF-2000 Sheet Feeder, the DC-615 Slitter/Cutter/Creaser, and the fully automatic DF-920 Tabletop Folder. The DSF-2000 processes pre-collated sets at up to 200 sheets per minute into the mid-range DBM-350/T, where they are then accumulated, stitched, folded and face trimmed into professional booklets. With the new equipment, the company has been able to increase their productivity as well as reduce costs. “We are able to do more jobs in-house with great efficiency, saving the company money,” says Marilyn Webber, supervisor office services at Northwest Natural. Northwest Natural is a gas utility company serving customers throughout Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver. The equipment was sold and installed by Duplo dealer, Graphic Arts Supply Company.
 
Springboard Development, in Rochester, MN, has installed Duplo’s DC-645 Integrated Folding System and a bookletmaking system connecting the mid-range DBM-350/T Bookletmaker and Trimmer with a DSF-2000 Sheet Feeder. The DC-645 IFS combines the DC-645 Slitter/Cutter/Creaser with an in-line knife folder, allowing users to create innovative full-bleed, folded pieces using a single machine. Springboard Development produces buttons and pins through their website www.affordablebuttons.com. The machines were sold and installed by American Office Systems.

Springboard Development’s owners Linda and Tom Christopherson with the DSF-2000 Sheet Feeder and DBM-350/T Bookletmaker and Trimmer.