ROCHESTER, N.Y., Nov. 19-Forty years in the commercial printing industry have taught Range Printing about the need to continually offer new opportunities for customers to help them do business more effectively. What began as a sheetfed printing house has grown to include fulfillment, mailing, graphic design, and now a digital printing division offering variable data and online ordering.
Adding a robust set of digital print solutions from Kodak contributed to the most recent growth of Range Printing, which now serves as a $7 million company with local, regional and national customers. Described by Range Printing's president, Shawn Sundquist, as "a printing company within a printing company," the new digital services have generated strong demand from customers.
The interest comes as no surprise to Sundquist. When he purchased a KODAK NEXPRESS 2100 Digital Production Color Press earlier this year, he chose to augment his digital printing capabilities with the KODAK INSITE Storefront System and KODAK INSITE Variable Data Print System. Bringing customers the opportunity to have their own online catalog from which they can place orders for printing of specific pieces-with personalization through variable data-gives Range Printing a way to reconnect with existing customers and increase business from new accounts.
"It's one thing for us to choose a digital output device, but when you talk to customers about having a personal storefront they really take ownership" said Sundquist, the third generation owner of the company in Brainerd, Minn. "Customers can order their personalized jobs online, go to the checkout, proof and approve the file, choose the address for shipping, and hit 'print.' We then get a message that an order has been received. By the time I get to the pressroom, the job is waiting in the queue to print. I feel that this is going to be very successful for us."
The INSITE Storefront System boosts business for Range Printing's new KODAK NEXPRESS 2100 Press. With the ability to print 70 letter sized sheets per minute, the NEXPRESS 2100 Press allowed Range to make an entry into digital printing to meet customer demand for faster turnaround. Sundquist added the KODAK DARWIN VI Authoring Tool to bring variable data to all of his customers, whether or not they chose to use the INSITE Storefront System. The ability to personalize documents and send the right message to every customer made an immediate difference for Range Printing's customers.
"Thanks to the NEXPRESS Press, we can capture work that might have gone elsewhere," said Sundquist. "With the combination of the NEXPRESS Press, INSITE Storefront and DARWIN VI Authoring Tool, we can be unique with every customer and show them what variable data can do for their communications materials. It's really rewarding to help a customer make the connections."
Sundquist cited a 33,000 piece variable data job that Range Printing recently completed for a financial client in Minnesota.
"We designed, printed and mailed the personalized pieces here at Range," he said. "This job cost the client about $20,000, and it generated $15 million in new business for them. Needless to say, they're doing this with us again next month. The results are fabulous."
KODAK Products are backed by KODAK Service and Support. KODAK Service and Support is made up of more than 3,000 professionals reaching more than 120 countries. It is a leading multi-vendor integrated services provider, delivering consulting, installation, maintenance and support services for the commercial printing, graphic communications, document imaging and data storage industries. KODAK Service and Support professionals are uniquely qualified to provide services that control costs, maximize productivity, and minimize business risk.