CHICAGO, IL - It’s good to know time-tested relationships are still meaningful in the printing industry. In a day and age where instant gratification is met by the cheapest price, it is not the route to doing business at J.J.Collins Printers. The long time family-run Illinois company has worked with affiliates of Commercial Product Group (CPG), a division of A.B.Dick Company, for over 30 years. When J.J.Collins needed a Computer-to-Plate large format platesetter, CPG recommended Fujifilm’s 8-page Violet Saber Luxel Vx-9600. Selecting the right equipment has never been more important than in recent times. Faced with a poor economy and technology advancements that seem to alter the playing field over- night, companies must be diligent in their research and preparation for future business. J.J. Collins will celebrate 125 years of business in 2003, in part due to their ability to analyze and take stock of what trends have developed and where they will lead the company. “We’ve been thinking about upgrading our CTP capabilities for almost two years,” revealed company president Jim Collins. “We looked at the Saber about a year ago but the hold up was it didn’t cover all of our sizes. We looked at other CTP devices but nothing matched. In mid-2002 the people at CPG told us the Vx-9600 was exactly what we were looking for, so it became more attractive to us.” CPG consists of skilled graphics professionals who help guide over 100 Midwest customers through vendor partnering, pressroom problem-solving and technical troubleshooting, among others. CPG represents Fujifilm and other manufacturers such as Creo. J.J. Collins is a true American success story. Founder John Joachim Collins, a printer by trade, left Cincinnati for Chicago and worked at Rand McNally Co. before starting his own printing company in 1878. The company prospered with the times and came to establish key relationships with major Chicago companies and corporations. Sales, prepress, and design are handled at its suburban corporate office in Woodridge. But all manufactur-ing, warehousing, and distribution take place 170 miles away in downstate Charleston, mak- ing it imperative to be correct when it comes to capital investments. “Any technology that allows us to be more seamless is important, considering the three hours in distance between our plants. There was a learning curve but the timing was perfect. The Vx-9600 is making us be more consistent in the pressroom and we have realized a major cost-savings. We are getting better quality, quicker make-readies, and our proofs and printed pieces are more accurate,” said Collins, whose customer base includes Fortune 500 financial, insurance and hospitality companies, and office supplies superstores. The Saber Luxel Vx9600’s plate loading flexibility gives J.J. Collins support regardless of whether they use their five-color Perfecting heatset web press, or the eight-color UV multi-sized web for printing point-of-purchase pads, hotel pads, laser cut sheets, direct mail and office products. “This device is exceptionally user-friendly, especially with plates,” confirmed Collins, who said his prepress department produces about 150 plates a week. Commercial Product Group is a division of A.B.Dick Company, a leading worldwide supplier to the graphic arts and printing industry which manufactures and markets equipment and supplies for all stages of document creation. For more information contact Scott MacKenzie, Vice President, Marketing, 7400 Caldwell Ave., Niles, IL. 60714. Telephone (847) 779-1900, fax (847) 647-6940, web: www.abdick.com.