Tucked away in central Maine, Snowman Group is a unique kind of commercial printer, one whose location demands extreme versatility. Snowman delivers everything from offset booklets and political signs to statement printing and rubber stamps.

“We’re in Maine, so you have to be able to do a little bit of everything,” says Rich Armstrong, President of Snowman Group, whose family has been at the helm since the 1970s. “We serve massive banks and small startups alike. If you live in Maine and something ends up in your mailbox, there’s a good chance it came from us.”

The company’s name often sparks curiosity—but no, it’s not a whimsical nod to frosty winters. The name goes back to founder Harlan P. Snowman, who started the business in 1932 after years in the newspaper industry. Over time, the company evolved from HP Snowman to Snowman Printing, and finally, to Snowman Group, reflecting its expanding range of capabilities.

Today, Snowman’s daily operations span high-volume offset jobs, digital short runs, nameplate engraving, wide-format signage, nonprofit fundraising, and precise, time-sensitive statement printing.

The business is built on flexibility and fast turnaround, so any press downtime—no matter how brief—can mean missed deadlines or eroded customer confidence. That’s why, when growing demand for full-color statement work required Snowman Group to add capacity, reliability and quality topped the list of "must haves" for its new press.

What Would You Do with More Uptime?

When the search began, Kyocera models weren’t on the team’s radar. But then Rich came across the TASKalfa Pro 15000c in a trade journal. His interest was piqued. Then he saw the press again at a trade show, and he stopped to talk. Rich engaged with the Kyocera team, spoke to one of its customer references, and never looked back.

The TASKalfa Pro is a high-speed, sheetfed color inkjet production printer that offers impressive 600 x 600/600 x 1200 dpi print quality, a top speed of 146 ppm (letter), and a monthly rated volume of one million pieces, perfect for the company’s growing statement business. At 5.5 seconds to the first print (both black-and-white and color), Rich was blown away by the press’s efficiency. But it was its reliability that stood out the most.

“Unlike digital presses that often come with lofty promises and the reality of constant service calls, we kept hearing that the TASKalfa Pro 15000c delivered exactly what Kyocera claimed: speed, simplicity, and exceptional reliability,” Rich recalls. “We took a chance, and sure enough, my team loves it. It’s quieter than most copiers, easy to use, and the output stacks beautifully.”

“The Operators Never Complain”

Perhaps most telling: the press operators never complain about the press. In fact, Rich hardly hears about the machine at all—which, in the world of production, is a true rarity.

“When I don’t hear about a machine, I know it’s a keeper,” Rich says. “We’ve got other digital presses and copiers that break constantly. It doesn’t matter the manufacturer. There’s always an issue. But this one? It just prints, and prints, and prints. It’s also quiet and easy to operate. Quieter than a traditional copier.”

Soon, Kyocera will release a version of the machine that prints on coated paper. “That’s going to be a game changer,” he adds.

“I Don’t Even Know the Tech’s Name”

Thanks to its performance and consistency, the TASKalfa has quickly become a shop favorite. The team anticipates it will eventually take over even more volume from existing machines.

“We still have other inkjets running, but this could easily replace one or more of them,” says Rich. “It’s faster, more reliable, and the output quality is better. Plus, it’s so reliable. It requires so little service.”

There is that word again: reliability.

Indeed, talk to Rich for any length of time and it’s clear that uptime has been one of the most pleasant surprises since the installation. Unlike other devices that require frequent fixes and expensive maintenance contracts, this machine just runs.

 “I couldn’t even tell you the name of our Kyocera tech because they’re never here,” he quips. “With one of our other OEMs, I know the tech’s name, where he lives, and what he drives. I probably even know his kids’ names because they’re in here so much. But with Kyocera? I couldn’t tell you a thing. They’re here that rarely.”

The press is so reliable, in fact, that Snowman Group doesn’t even have a maintenance contract on the press. “We decided to take the chance and see if it would live up to the hype—and man, did they ever,” he says. “No wonder the cost of operation is so much lower than a traditional copier. It just doesn’t break.”

Freedom to Focus on Growth

With fewer breakdowns, the Snowman team can focus on growing their business. The TASKalfa Pro 150000c has already strengthened their statement printing—one of their core services—and positioned themselves to expand even further into full-color transactional print.

“Kyocera was kind of an unknown for us, but it turned out to be one of the best purchases we’ve ever made,” he says. “One of the reasons we pulled the trigger was because so many other machines use Kyocera heads. So I figured, why buy another brand with Kyocera heads when I could just buy a Kyocera?”

The fact that the TASKalfa wasn’t even on the original list of vendors makes its impact even more impressive. “It’s rare, but this machine really does what they say it can do,” he says.

The Payoff: Peace of Mind and a Competitive Edge

In print, reliability equals money. Downtime can mean lost clients—or worse, missed critical mailings. That's why, for Snowman Group, the Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c delivers true peace of mind.

“You really want to look at this Kyocera,” he says. “It’s a beast. It prints and prints and prints—at exactly the speed they promised. It’s such a relief not to have someone come into your office saying, ‘It’s down again,’ or ‘The tech won’t be here until tomorrow.’”

Its dependability has made it a key asset. “We’ve migrated more and more work to it,” Rich adds. “Once it can run coated stocks, it’ll unlock even more opportunities.”

Would he recommend the Kyocera TASKalfa Pro 15000c? “It depends who you are,” he says with a laugh. “If you’re a competitor, absolutely not. But if you’re a friend, I’d say you’re crazy not to get one. It’s an awesome box.”