Marking a significant milestone in its prolific 138-year history, Tension Corporation has expanded its capacities with a strategic investment in MBO America's cutting-edge finishing technology. The partnership marks a pivotal new chapter of growth, both in terms of enhanced production capabilities and finished product. It also exemplifies Tension Corporation’s commitment to innovation and excellence at every level of the envelope and printed products sector.

Recently installed MBO Finish Line
By 2022, having grown into eight nationwide facilities and an international presence, Tension Corporation’s customers were increasingly asking them for help producing what was going into the envelope. Their customers trusted Tension and were looking for opportunities to streamline their procurement process. It marked a significant opportunity for Tension to establish greater market share and expand its role in the printed products market.

Around this time, Tension learned that their longtime supplier of roll-to-roll and printed products could be on the market. Intellus, formerly IBS, had been a partner of high-quality lithographic printing. As Tension’s printed products program continued to grow, they knew it was the perfect opportunity to expand this segment and began to explore a possible acquisition.

As Bill Berkley, CEO, stated, "After careful consideration that we would not be in competition with our customers as we would not handle data and would do no personalization, we acquired Intellus in 2022 and inherited a talented team." This acquisition further allowed the multigenerational family business to fill a wider market niche.

Soon after acquiring Intellus and their tenured associates, Tension renamed its Envelope division the Envelope & Print division, reflecting the increasing importance of printed products. Toby Reed, Tension’s Vice President of sales, said, “Changing the division name highlights the range of products we can provide our customers and the focus we have on bringing them comprehensive solutions.”

The Solution: Integrated and Adaptable Print Finishing Equipment
Tension Corporation’s lead printing team quickly realized the key to scaling operations was more effective integration of their web print services through a better one-touch direction in finishing. They not only improved capacity in terms of sheer volume, but also overall functionality.

As Matthew Gill, Production Manager for Tension Corporation, reflected on the partnership:

"The integration of MBO's finishing equipment allows us to significantly increase our production capabilities. This is not just about enhancing efficiency; it's about redefining what's possible in our industry."

That's because the core of MBO America's integrated print technology is its ability to not only improve output rates, but also adapt to new workflows through their core modularity principle, making new value-adding services possible. As a result, Tension Corporation stood to gain tremendous ground in an industry on which they had already left an indelible mark.

Transformative Growth and Efficiency
In a short time, Tension Corporation scaled its output to match its clients' needs. The team quickly realized that based on its growth potential and positive feedback from customers, a second MBO could be supported by the business. As a result, Tension will install its second MBO machine for cutting, folding, perforating, and banding later this summer.

Naturally, the Envelope & Print division of Tension Corporation has achieved an even bigger role in its marketplace, fulfilling a wider range of services while maximizing production efficiency and revenue gains. Part of their success relates to an expansion of capability, not just capacity. As Vice President and General Manager at Tension Corporation, Jim Thompson, explained:

“This is a transformational investment for us. Our clients’ growing demands for customizable forms and inserts used in direct mail solutions were the catalysts for embracing MBO America’s technology, which has not only met but exceeded our expectations.”

It's a moving example that MBO also strives to live by. To these ends, we take pride in not only streamlining production workflows and eliminating bottlenecks but expanding our partners' roles in their marketplace.

A Shared Vision for a Strategic Partnership
MBO America continually discovers new ways to add value to our partners' operations while strengthening their market stature.

"It's an honor to play a role in Tension Corporation’s distinctive growth strategy," said Lance Martin, VP Marketing at MBO America. "Their operational requirements resonate with our dedication to providing solutions for efficient workflows."

Our close collaboration also demonstrates that scaling operations can in fact improve quality and make new value-adding services possible. Karen Loggia, Tension Corporation’s VP of Marketing, encapsulated the greater possibilities of MBO's integrated printing solutions:

"This collaboration with MBO America represents a strategic leap forward for Tension. It allows us to serve our customers with a broader range of high-quality products and reinforces our commitment to innovation and excellence."