Leading boutique folding carton printer in Chattanooga, TN celebrates double-digit sales increase and banner year of growth and stability

With the outstanding achievement of celebrating its 90^th anniversary in 2014 along with posting its largest sales year to date, TPC Printing and Packaging is keeping the positive momentum moving into 2015 with the spring installation of its new KBA Rapida 105 41-inch eight-color press with full UV capabilities and inline coater along with board and plastic packages to its 150,000 sq ft facility in Chattanooga, TN and reveling in another record-setting sales year with a double-digit sales increase over last year. The new press is due to be delivered in April 2015. 

“There are a number of key distinctions that differentiate our company from our competitors,” says Joseph A. Schmissrauter III, president of TPC Printing & Packaging. “Ninety-five percent of our sales are derived from a select niche market--producing specialty decorated, shaped, and printed folded cartons for the retail shelf---for a group of world-class consumer retailers and well-known brand names in the distilled spirits, over-the-counter pharmaceutical, cosmetic, fragrance, and health and beauty industries that sit in the first or second position of their segment. These firms require highly-decorated, highly-visible packaging with extensive printing processes calling for eight to nine machine passes through value-added processes. Our sterling reputation of providing unique packaging services over these 90 plus years is to supply our customers with first-rate, unique promotional packaging to support their brands in the market.”

TPC’s new KBA Rapida 105 eight-color press is equipped with full automation including plate changing and specially-equipped board and plastic packages, full UV capabilities, plus KBA’s unique ErgoTronic ColorControl automatic color measuring system. “The on-going trend in our industry has been to produce shorter run length jobs,” says Schmissrauter. “Our challenge is to reduce our makeready times and thus turn our jobs around much faster. When we visited the KBA factory in Dresden to test the press, we sent three of our most complicated eight-color jobs to test-run. The Rapida press was able to makeready all three in 53 minutes. That was very impressive.”

Customers have indicated to Schmissrauter that his firm is in-line for new major business this upcoming year. To keep abreast of customer expectations, TPC’s new Rapida press is also equipped with a complete UV drying system. Where TPC has an edge is that its UV system from KBA is a cartridge system giving TPC the flexibility to move the UV around on the press where it is needed, unlike competitor systems that are fixed units. TPC also added a plastics package to its Rapida press to allow them to better handle MPE and plastics printing.  

Schmissrauter and his siblings keep a firm, personalized hand managing the family-owned business. Each of them oversees a particular niche—from spirits, to OTC pharmaceuticals, to cosmetics and fragrances---providing custom one-on-one knowledge for its complex work. Customers are pleased to be working with ownership, he says, rather than an outside sales force. It’s been a huge differentiator for the firm’s success.

“Showcase press”

Once the new press is installed, Schmissrauter describes the Rapida as the firm’s “showcase press” running at full capacity. It will be replacing an older six-color non-KBA press. TPC will continue to operate its existing eight- and two-color non-KBA presses. Schmissrauter also plans to successfully complete the rigorous certification process involved in becoming a G7 Master Printer with the new KBA. This qualification program identifies printing companies that have been trained to proof or print to G7 Neutral Print Density Curves and can meet print buyer requirements to produce proofs or printed output conforming to the metrics that reliably render brand images across print locations and different printing types. The qualification mark means that the printer uses the modern technology based on colorimetry, and employs G7 process controls. G7 Masters bear the IDEAlliance seal of approval. Attaining G7 Master status is a competitive goal for those providing creative, premedia and printing services, worldwide.

“We’ve had a long relationship with KBA and our colleagues in the industry have had nothing but good things to say about the company,” says Schmissrauter. “KBA senior vice president of sheetfed sales Soren Larson and our KBA sales rep Sam Creel are outstanding representatives of the company. Chris Travis, the KBA director of technology, offered detailed knowledge of our new press and our facility. Everyone at the company is first class.”

TPC Printing & Packaging is a highly-experienced, independent producer of high quality custom folding cartons and promotional packaging for a number of markets, including the pharmaceutical, food, spirits, and cosmetics industries. Founded by the late J. A. Schmissrauter, Sr. in 1924, TPC is wholly owned and operated by the third generation of the Schmissrauter family. In the past three years TPC has added a two-color press with in-line coating and a second silkscreen press. With the addition of the KBA Rapida eight-color press, the firm’s total press inventory will include two eight-color, one six-color, one two-color, and two silkscreen presses. 

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