In 1980, United Direct Solutions opened its doors as a pre-sort commingler and has since evolved into full service provider offering printing, mailing, billing, data, and document security solutions, all with the latest platforms and technologies. However, its directive has remained the same, which is to enrich connections between companies and their audiences. To achieve this directive, United Direct Solutions employs 250 people spread across two different facilities located within 100 miles of each other in Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. It strategically positioned its locations for redundancy and disaster recovery purposes. The company prioritizes industry-leading innovation, data management, and security, which has led it to become a top printer in the country. “In fact, with over 20,000 printers across the US, we are proud to say that United Direct Solutions was ranked in the top 150 in 2023,” touted Casey Hendrick, chief operating officer, United Direct Solutions.

The company’s top three markets are healthcare, insurance, and financial services. In order to fulfill the critical communication needs of these markets and others served, United Direct Solutions has been awarded data security certifications, HISTRUST CSF and SOC2 Type 2, along with quality assurance certification, ISO 9001:2015. Printing compliance letters and mailings is core to its business, with 50 percent of its volume being 8 ½” x 11” or 8 ½” x 14” letters that are placed into envelopes. The company also prints postcards and self-mailers. As a direct marketing company, United Direct Solutions also excels in an omni-channel by combining print pieces with email marketing, digital advertising and social media, integrating various channels to provide a unified experience.

Over the last several years, United Direct Solutions has fulfilled an annual client project that entailed printing five to seven million sheets within three to four weeks. Originally, all the printing was monochrome. However, in 2023, the client requested that the project switch to color printing. With this change, United Direct Solutions knew it needed to upgrade its equipment. The company purchased the Canon ColorStream 3900 printer and the Tecnau Revolution 50 Stack 5251 system at the same time. “We looked at all models and configurations in the market. The industry feedback we received was that the Tecnau solution is the best roll to sheet platform,” stated Casey.

In addition, the Stack 5251’s roll to sheet capability significantly boosted efficiency. “Our bottleneck has been print. We did not originally intend to purchase new equipment for this annual project. However, now we move 300,000 sheets through this line every day,” according to Mr. Hendrick. A previous company challenge was speed to market, but with this increase in capacity United Direct Solutions has grown 20 percent in the arena of letter printing, making it a true game changer.

The Tecnau Revolution 50 Stack 5251 platform empowers high-speed color inkjet printers, such as the Canon ColorStream 3900. Tecnau’s Stack 5251 reliably operates as fast as 590 fpm/180 mpm to take full advantage of the emerging generation of high-speed inkjet printers.

Cutting and stacking high-resolution print at these speeds requires a stable web of paper with minimal touchpoints. The taut-web Stack 5251 never lets go of the web, maintaining control for reliable production. The Stacker s51 module produces 1-up, 2-up, 2-up merged, 3-up or 4-up stacks, utilizing a transport technology, which matches well to a broad range of applications ranging from transactional to high-quality publishing, and graphic arts.

Furthermore, the Stack 5251 features next generation controls for compatibility with the “Internet of Things” (IoT). The system includes natural-language error reporting on the user screen and onboard diagnostics to help keep the system up and running. According to Casey, “The Stack 5251 runs with only one operator and achieves a 95% uptime rate.” IoT options are available for remote monitoring and diagnostics, automatic software updates, and preventive maintenance aids.

Finally, the pre and post-sale experience with Tecnau excelled in many ways also. Tecnau always kept its pre-sale commitments. “They did what they said they would do. Our Tecnau contact, Chris Wilhelm, has been very responsive since day one,” declared Casey. Post-sale, Tecnau ensured the operators were well trained and the equipment was set up properly. “United Direct Solutions purchased the Stack 5251 in July 2023, but we already had a high level of trust with Tecnau. We are confident that they will be there for us when we need them,” affirmed Casey.