The Relyco Verdict Is In: Print Is Alive & Thriving

We had a fantastic time at PRINT17! We always find the PRINT/GRAPH EXPO shows beneficial because there are so many great opportunities there; from interacting and collaborating with our OEM partners and industry peers, to meeting and talking with our customers and prospective customers, we love it all!

It may sound like we’re tooting our own horn here, but it was really exciting to see that our unique booth set-up and cityscape backdrop seemed to draw folks in. Not only is it attractive, but we found that our backdrop is a great conversation starter too! We like having something that’s outside the norm. Some people even posed for photos with the backdrop, which was really gratifying for our creative team!

PRINT also offers us the chance to demonstrate one of our company’s core values at the show: charitable giving. This was the third year that we incorporated our Vibrants for Charities program into our booth. We enjoyed sharing our passion for giving, while welcoming others to participate as well!

When our team returned from their time in Chicago, we asked them to describe their top takeaways from this year’s show. Here they are:

It’s all about what’s NEW, from people to products

“Print is not DEAD!! There are a lot of amazing things being produced in the print world. For the first time, I am seeing a younger crowd come into the industry and that is desperately needed.” - Mike Steinberg, CEO & Owner

“Customers are looking for new, innovative products. They want to increase the ROI with the new digital printers that they’re investing in. They’re looking for efficient, cost-effective products that will bring value to their customer base. The days of printing in just black and white are over. People want color, texture and a way to make an emotional connection. That’s where we can offer custom solutions that are unique to each company.” - Bruce Steinberg, President

Our partners are successfully advancing print technology

“Top of my list would be the continuing progress that is being made with the laser technology to make it more like traditional printing presses. There are new registration systems on these new printers that have really good quality imaging. Back in the day when we went to the shows, there were all sorts of printing presses there and then there were digital color printers there too, but the quality was awful. The speed was slow. We used to look at it and say, ‘it’ll never be like conventional print.’ But I was talking to a rep from one of the OEMs this year and she was showing me the registration system. It automatically brings the image into registration, so you don’t have to do anything anymore.” - Keith Zub, Senior Vice President

“It was another great experience connecting with new and existing OEM and technology partners. I enjoyed learning about the new print technologies, including specialty inks and the ability to print on thicker substrates, which will help Relyco immensely in positioning the right solution for their engines. These features are key elements when providing specialty paper solutions to customers, which has helped us earn ‘THE SPECIALTY PAPER EXPERTS’ title! I also learned more about new post-processing (post-printing) solutions to help streamline/improve customers’ workflows. Technology – I LOVE IT!” - Brenda Chaisson, Partner Sales Manager/New Business Development

Talking to customers is extremely rewarding

“As a sales and marketing leader at Relyco, it is always encouraging and validating when customer after customer coming into the booth compliments Relyco’s dedication to innovation, quality and most importantly, customer service. The print industry is competitive - oftentimes, customer service and customer engagement is the only thing that differentiates one company from another. That’s why we’ve always put such a major emphasis on treating our customers the best we can. Mike Steinberg’s motto has always rung true over the last 30 years: “good news, bad news, no news – communicate with your customer.” It’s a mentality and tone that has been set since the start of Relyco. For me, PRINT is an event that I use to evaluate how we as a company are performing and there is no better way to do that than to speak with our customers. The feedback was overwhelming and I am proud to serve our customers and want to thank them for putting such faith in us.” - Jon Neill, Vice President of Sales & Marketing

We learned so much at this year’s show! From exploring new printing technology, to connecting with customers and growing our partnerships with our peers, we had an excellent and inspiring week! We look forward to attending GRAPH EXPO 2018 next year!