Nationally recognized direct marketing provider to take on new business opportunities with latest inkjet technology

MELVILLE, N.Y. – Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., today announced that Progressive Impressions International (pii), a leading full-service direct marketing service provider, is one of the nation’s first companies to install the revolutionary Océ VarioPrint i300 sheet-fed inkjet press. With the addition of the Océ VarioPrint i300 to run parallel with its existing Océ ColorSteam 3500, pii is poised to offer its clients the ability to produce more complex messaging in direct mail packages and communication pieces. 

Since 1993, pii has helped Fortune 500 companies increase sales and profits by delivering their direct marketing message in a more efficient and impactful way across multiple mediums: direct mail, digital marketing, mobile, sales collateral, promotion products and more. As a part of Taylor Corporation, they continue to make industry-leading investments to keep their customers out in front of the marketplace. 

Building on a long-standing relationship that began with Océ North America more than 10 years ago, pii and Canon Solutions America continue to partner with each other to push the realm of printing technologies and innovations. Pii has long been viewed by its clients as being at the forefront of technology and as an early adopter of new and innovative application designs. With a history of performing numerous operations on various Canon products at its flagship location in Bloomington, IL, pii was ready to expand its commitment to technological advancement and take on new business opportunities when it called on Canon Solutions America to discuss the advantages of the new Océ VarioPrint i300.  

“A few years ago, we implemented the Océ ColorStream 3500 continuous feed inkjet press which provided us the ability to provide our customers with creative white paper in, full color out personalized applications,” said Tim Henning, operations manager at pii. “Once our customers realized the benefits of inkjet, they wanted to get even more creative. The Océ VarioPrint i300 sheet-fed inkjet press now allows us to provide our customers with a wide range of multi-media options within each application, which gives our customers the versatility to be creative with their print designs.”
 
Recognizing the impact that the Océ VarioPrint i300 will have on the industry as a whole, pii worked with Canon Solutions America to optimize the dynamic inkjet press that boasts the versatility of sheet-fed, inkjet white-paper-in, full-color-out workflows. Further addressing pii’s desire to move to a complete inkjet white-paper-in, full-color-out workflow, Canon Solutions America’s Production Print Solutions division opened the door to new possibilities for the direct marketing company by introducing the Océ VarioPrint i300’s ability to draw from multiple paper sources, automatic duplexing, and in-line connectivity to finishing equipment. These features played a vital role in pii’s decision to move forward with the robust inkjet press and improve its daily print operations. 

“We wanted not only to enhance our current services that we offer our customer base, but also go after different types of work that we previously were unable to efficiently address,” said Jamie Huff, president of pii. “With the Océ VarioPrint i300, we will reduce costs, shorten turnaround times, and broaden our presence in the market with more complete and encompassing capabilities to provide our valued customers. Additionally, Canon Solutions America’s service team is next to none – their reliability is key to our continued success.” 

“We take great pride in working together with companies like pii to discover new and exciting ways to bring solutions to our customers,” said Francis A. McMahon, senior vice president, Marketing, Production Print Solutions, Canon Solutions America. “We move together step-by-step to ensure that we are meeting our customers’ growing expectations as the evolution of the digital color print space continues to build momentum.”

Sitting firmly at the forefront of the inkjet movement with this latest installation, Huff noted that “we are proud to be able to offer these services to our customers; however, the impact does not stop there. Our employees are excited to see our constant investment in technology and engagement with companies such as Canon Solutions America who are consistently sparking innovation.”

The future is vast for both companies as they continue to develop innovative and forward-thinking advancements that will help take the print industry to unprecedented heights. 

“We greatly value our relationship with Canon Solutions America,” added Huff. “Exposure to new Canon technology early on has been mutually beneficial, as we are given an opportunity to offer insight from different perspectives. We look forward to future opportunities and continuing to grow together.”