An Endless Frontier of Applications, Substrates and Clients Bring Value to Production Print

While they have commonalities, such as productivity and ROI, there’s an interesting contrast between the worlds of MFPs and production print hardware. The former embraces the world of down-and-dirty printing where the information/data is the priority. In the other corner stands production print, which also has its share of mass output needs, but gets interesting and fun when the output is the main product. It’s here where printing quality and color preciseness matter.

Herein lies the beauty of production print: it can be many things to different customer sets. It can still be a vehicle for message delivery, perhaps a fundraising call to action, a marketing tool or even a breathtaking image designed to elicit a response. It could be as mundane as a billing statement that incorporates variable data. Or it could be an advertising poster for a university’s upcoming theatrical performance.

We kick off this State of the Industry report on production print by co-opting the slogan, “No rules, just right.” And as we brace for a threatening phone call from Outback Steakhouse’s legal department, we pay homage to the full breadth of all the machines that fall under this category, from light production units to wide-format machines, labels and packaging printing gear. There’s something for everyone, whether the client is print-for-pay, commercial, in-plant, CRDs, education, manufacturing, nonprofits, marketing or billing departments. It’s like an acceptance speech for an Oscar award winner, where there’s a fear of forgetting to mention someone (or something).

During the course of the next few pages, we hope to gradually work in many of the opportunities for production growth within your client roster. More than one dealer has cited production as its favorite product subset because, as Yogi Berra might’ve observed, the limitations are limitless.

Creative Outlet

It doesn’t take much prodding to get Lauren Hanna to talk about selling production print solutions. The vice president of sales for Blue Technologies of Cleveland loves how it presents opportunities to show customers ways they can reimagine their print procurement by economically (and effectively) launching their own in-house print shop. That’s where salespeople with creativity and a bit of ingenuity can flourish, profit and do right by the customer.

Blue Technologies is backed by Konica Minolta gear, with Kip supplying wide-format machines (AEC blueprints enjoy strong demand). Health care and education are lucrative targets, in addition to commercial printers. Retail, grocery, manufacturing and non-profit entities are also prime production segments. Nonprofits, for example, are notoriously heavy mailers for donation soliciting, bringing awareness to organizational events and recruiting volunteers.

When you go into packaging, labels, wide-format, you want to have an offering that differentiates you from competitors. And we wanted to have the best for customers.

– Lauren Hanna, Blue Technologies

Hanna relishes scenarios in which she can enable the client to create a quasi in-plant operation. “You’re really not competing over pricing—it’s just helping the client take control of their brands more,” she said. “We like getting their marketing department involved to better understand how they’re trying to communicate with their customers and prospects. It’s been really successful for us.”

Blue Technologies has been offering production since virtually the first day the company hung its shingle. It’s fallen under Hanna’s auspices for the past dozen years. It was that “need for speed” and the ability to handle stout volumes that made it a rising star in the Blue catalog.

“We didn’t want to be bleeding edge with our customers, but we wanted to stay ahead of the trends,” Hanna said. “When you go into packaging, labels, wide-format, you want to have an offering that differentiates you from competitors. And we wanted to have the best for customers.”

Konica Minolta wide-format has led to interesting opportunities. In one, Hanna was able to significantly reduce a labor-intensive production process. This grocery customer formerly printed signs on a roll-based machine, then affixed them to foam core each day for approximately 30 stores. By moving the client to a Konica Minolta large-format machine, the client was able to print directly to the substrate, eliminating five labor steps in the process.

Labeling and packaging incentives can also help ecommerce sellers drive repeat business, which can be a difficult environment (“It’s a shark tank,” she noted). Sellers can boost return rates through initiatives such as QR codes printed directly on the package that, for example, could offer $10 off a future purchase.

“There are a lot of ideas for providing return-buyer incentives,” Hanna added. “It’s an exciting, whole-new evolution of production for us.”

Right Stuff

Sean Connery may or may not have been the first person to chide someone about “bringing a knife to a gunfight,” but the notion about having the right tool for the situation extends to people as well.

Joe Blatchford paints an even more succinct picture—the CEO of Image 2000 in Valencia, California, sees a vibrant future for production. As his company ramps up its own offering—further fueled by Sharp’s unveiling of the BP-1200C four-color and 1200S six-color digital production presses developed in tandem with Fuji—it requires the right timber of sales person to make it happen.

“Anyone can sell a Hyundai, but if you’re talking about a Lamborghini, it’s a different type of salesperson who can sell that level of car,” he said. “It’s the same thing with production. It’s a different animal compared to an MFP. There are nuances behind what these machines are designed to do. Even the [digital front end] Fierys require a training class. There are so many different things you need to know that are learned through training.”

Image 2000 isn’t exactly new to production. In the past, it offered Xerox’s 1090, and the dealer also dabbled in Océ gear until the OEM’s acquisition by Canon. From then on, Image 2000 was offering only Sharp’s light production units. Now, Blatchford is working on the new 1200s.

Print shops, schools and hospitals represent the sweet spot for Image 2000; it’s had success placing Sharp 1205 monochrome document systems, including a set of four for a large school district. Facilities operations have been a growing opportunity, placing Image 2000 employees on premises while handling mailroom needs in addition to production units.

There are nuances behind what these machines are designed to do. Even the [digital front end] Fierys require a training class. There are so many different things you need to know that are learned through training.

– Joe Blatchford, Image 2000

The big production machines aren’t an island unto themselves. Many of the print shops and school districts require complementary gear, from shrink-wrapping to sealing and mailing (which is where FP Mailing comes in for Image 2000) and wide-format gear. Dealers who are coordinating with print shops need to be able to offer the equipment or at least direct them to where it can be acquired, Blatchford noted.

The CEO is confident Sharp will enable those dealers chosen to carry the 1200s to be positioned for success. “Sharp’s done a good job setting up the demo rooms in California and New Jersey,” Blatchford added. “The equipment is running, and clients are bringing in their jobs to test them. I like their overall approach in them looking for the dealers they feel can really embrace the technology, get trained on it and understand how to sell it.”

Exciting Possibilities

Industrial print is the verbiage embraced by Edwards Business Systems and Virginia Business Systems (EBS and VBS) of Pennsylvania and Virginia, respectively. This is a group of clients that includes commercial printers, CRDs and the educational sector, notes Michael Horvath, corporate director of industrial print and regional sales manager for the dealer. Edwards turns to Konica Minolta and Xerox for its primary lines, with KIP and Epson stepping in to meet its wide-format requirements.

Horvath is wholly sold on the value of production, primarily color units, in generating significant growth opportunities. This discipline is nothing new for the dealer, and in recent years it’s doubled down on committing additional resources to spur development, not the least of which was Horvath’s elevation to director of industrial print early in 2023.

“We also made industrial print one of our core initiatives to drive this part of our business through our sales teams in both Pennsylvania and Virginia,” he said. “While we have a strong base of wide-format clients, we’ve expanded our offerings to include flat-bed inkjet solutions and high-end cutters to support sign printing. We’re also expanding to accommodate labels and packaging.”

While we have a strong base of wide-format clients, we’ve expanded our offerings to include flat-bed inkjet solutions and high-end cutters to support sign printing. We’re also expanding to accommodate labels and packaging.

– Michael Horvath, Edwards Business Systems and Virginia Business Systems

The aforementioned output quality certainly differentiates production, and attention to detail is vital to meet customer demands, he noted. Prospective clients routinely travel to EBS for production demonstrations, which usually entail them testing their own files and consulting with the dealer’s production specialists.

Service demands are often unyielding; time is money for commercial clientele, and downtime must be mitigated via quick and reliable support. EBS and VBS have a trio of industrial print specialists on staff, professionals who have dedicated their careers to the discipline. They are, in a word, indispensable.

“They creatively facilitate sales and have played a major role in developing profitable new business opportunities thanks to their established client relationships,” Horvath noted. “While I’m fortunate to have them on my team, I aim to add another member in our Virginia region before the year ends.”

Ahab’s Catch

It’s no secret that United Business Technologies (UBT) in Gaithersburg, Maryland, has made its bones by targeting many enterprise-level clients to great success. Big-game fishing requires the right equipment, and UBT went with Canon and a host of units including the V800, V1000 and the new V1350 color production machines.

The UBT sales team focuses on the “whale” accounts, with an eye toward generating a combination of fleet and production solutions. Dave Alfredo, vice president of production for UBT, notes the dealer has eschewed the print-for-pay and commercial print arenas in favor of legal, entertainment, associations, higher education, non-profit firms and in-plant operations.

“Because most large enterprise target accounts often have expansive office fleets and some level of need for production within the organization, the Canon production portfolio enables UBT to be a complete solutions provider to our potential clients,” said Alfredo, who doesn’t anticipate the company entering wide-format, labels or packaging.

UBT’s salesforce doesn’t consist of any overlay production sales specialists. Instead, reps are supported by production systems analysts who assist and guide the sales team on significant production opportunities.

Because most large enterprise target accounts often have expansive office fleets and some level of need for production within the organization, the Canon production portfolio enables UBT to be a complete solutions provider to our potential clients.

– Dave Alfredo, United Business Technologies

“New account business is our focused approach to drive new sales revenues and new post-sale annuities,” he points out. “Data-driven whale hunting enables us to continue our growth initiatives along with continued growth and development of our sales organization.”

M&A Augmentation

Having a stellar and varied OEM roster provides dealers such as KDI Office Technology with a variety of options that can be tailored to the needs of clients. KDI’s team is a top-notch group that includes Ricoh, Canon, RISO and Formax. The dealer similarly casts a wide net with its customer verticals, from commercial shops and in-plants/CRDs to legal, education, government and health care. As such, the Aston, Pennsylvania-based dealer can address the unique challenges confronting the various sectors while proffering those customized solutions.

Like many dealers on our panel, KDI has been in the production game since its inception, and President/CEO Rick Salcedo considers it the cornerstone of its equipment menu. With longevity comes a reputation for excellence, but he’s not willing to rest on his laurels. The dealer’s recent acquisition of Kelly + Partners buoyed its capabilities and added legal industry specialization.

“Looking ahead, we’re committed to continuing the expansion of our production print offerings,” he said. “This includes exploring new subsets of production such as wide-format, label and packaging equipment, ensuring we remain at the foreground of the industry and continue to meet the evolving demands of our customers.”

Selling production at a higher level means having a showroom that clients can check out and take their jobs for a test spin, and KDI has that covered. Prospects and clients alike get to see how the gear performs in real-life production runs, per their requirements. That, as much as anything, can provide the impetus to close a deal.

Our dedicated production print specialists play a crucial role in facilitating sales by providing expert guidance and tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of our clients.

– Rick Salcedo, KDI Office Technology

Salcedo has raised the bar for KDI by investing in production-focused pre-sales and post-sales technical support. “Our dedicated production print specialists play a crucial role in facilitating sales by providing expert guidance and tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of our clients,” he said. “They ensure a seamless experience from initial consultation to post-installation support, leveraging their deep knowledge and expertise.”

When high-quality production support from KDI’s OEMs is added to the equation, it further ensures the dealer’s ability to position its sales representatives for success. “This combination of hands-on demonstrations, specialized support and strong OEM partnerships allows us to effectively meet the demands of the production print market,” Salcedo added.

Offering Evolves

Konica Minolta production equipment has resided in the arsenal of Prosource ever since the Cincinnati-based dealer opened its doors in 1985. As market growth escalated in 2019, the dealer made a significant investment in its capabilities, onboarding Xerox production equipment that spoke to a wider variety of applications. According to Tom Hemmelgarn, senior vice president of sales for Prosource, by also offering Kyocera’s TASKalfa line of inkjet printers, the dealer could provide clients with lower operating costs for color output.

Bringing on Xerox allowed us to branch into the commercial shops, and the Kyocera line has led us to success in the financial services markets with lower-cost, high-volume color output.

– Tom Hemmelgarn, Prosource

The strategy has proven effective for Prosource, which counts health care, education and print-for-pay among its prime production markets. “Bringing on Xerox allowed us to branch into the commercial shops, and the Kyocera line has led us to success in the financial services markets with lower-cost, high-volume color output,” Hemmelgarn noted.

Having production equipment from the outset followed Prosource’s blueprint of being a single-source provider. Naturally, the dealer wanted to keep pace with clients whose print requirements grew beyond their current equipment’s capabilities. With the aforementioned catalog expansion, Prosource also found it could address the needs of added verticals and identify enterprise accounts that could benefit from production, notes Tom Messmer, vice president of strategic accounts.

“We’ve also met our customers’ increasing needs through specialized offerings such as the Konica Minolta AccurioWide and AccurioLabel lines,” Messmer said of Prosource, which also carries wide-format devices from KIP, HP and Xanté. “Aftermarket volumes have also supported our growth, as color has begun to have an even greater impact in the production space.”

Prosource embraces a team mentality with its production offering, led by a squad of a dozen-plus Fiery-certified production sales and service professionals. Pre-sales support is furnished by the dealer’s production print specialist, production analyst and senior color specialists, all of whom gather granular detail as to the customer’s workflow and requirements. Prosource’s production service team then steps up to provide implementation support and ongoing service needs.

Bolstering the dealer’s production core is a senior field service engineer who is a Konica Minolta Authorized Training Partner. That engineer provides in-house training for Prosource’s technicians, who are then considered factory-trained.

Aftermarket volumes have also supported our growth, as color has begun to have an even greater impact on in the production space.

– Tom Messmer, Prosource

“For our customers, that means our team has ongoing access to training on every Konica Minolta machine in our portfolio,” Messmer added. “These dedicated production sales and service team members meet on a biweekly basis to ensure seamless collaboration and customer support.”

Diversification Dandy

Dealers since time immemorial have sought out diversification offerings to nudge themselves ahead of the competition. And to provide perspective on how long dealers have been seeking to counter the commoditization of print and copy, Loffler Companies of St. Louis Park, Minnesota, embarked on production 20 years ago for that reason.

The offering has pivoted from providing supplemental revenue to being one of the dealer’s cornerstone solutions. Loffler has an impressive OEM lineup led by Canon, Konica Minolta and Xerox. The company also sells wide-format and is mulling the possibility of adding labels and packaging equipment, according to President James Loffler.

“Selling production printing equipment involves a more complex and extended process compared to copiers and MFPs,” Loffler said. “It requires deeper technical knowledge, a consultative approach, extensive demonstrations and trials, comprehensive financial planning, and robust service and support structures.”

[Selling production print] requires deeper technical knowledge, a consultative approach, extensive demonstrations and trials, comprehensive financial planning, and robust service and support structures.

– James Loffler, Loffler Companies

Loffler has a well-defined structure powering its production sales engine, headed up by a production print director. The dealer has two dedicated salespeople who sell directly and support the general sales force. General account reps also pass on leads to Loffler’s wide-format specialist, who also sells direct to customers.

Demand Dictates

Production print once held niche status within the product catalog of Milner, a dealer based in Atlanta with a reach that blankets the southeast. Clients soon made it apparent they had a need for high-quality, reliable printing at a level commensurate with the rigorous demands of particular industries, prompting Milner to respond in kind, states Anthony DelGrosso, regional vice president and general manager.

Today, DelGrosso sees the offering as a key component in Milner’s portfolio. “The success we’ve had in this area, coupled with the growing needs of our clients, has reinforced the importance of production devices in our business strategy,” he said. “Looking ahead, we’re exploring opportunities to expand into other subsets of production, such as wide-format printing, label printing and packaging equipment. These areas represent natural extensions of our current capabilities, and we see significant potential to serve our clients’ broader needs in these evolving markets.”

Looking ahead, we’re exploring opportunities to expand into other subsets of production, such as wide-format printing, label printing and packaging equipment.

– Anthony DelGrosso, Milner

Milner leans on Ricoh and Konica Minolta—OEMs renowned for exceptional products and innovative approaches—for its production print technology. The billowing demand prompted the dealer to make a full commitment to the OEMs’ comprehensive production lines. Much of Milner’s client focus has centered on CRDs within enterprise accounts, predominantly health care, legal and finance. There’s also been a recent uptick in high-end mail houses and specialty print shops.

The key for Milner, according to DelGrosso, is leveraging the client’s applications, educating them on how the technology can generate additional revenue streams, and aligning with their overall vision. The result is a value proposition that provides a significant point of differentiation, which has led to substantial market penetration.

“We employ experienced industry veterans as dedicated production print specialists,” he said. “These specialists play a crucial role in the process, working closely with the sales executive from start to finish. As soon as an opportunity is identified, they’re immediately involved to ensure a seamless and effective sales process.”