In 2011 the Coors Distribution Center (CDC) in Denver printed more than 100,000 signs, plastering the city and the Front Range surrounding Denver with its brand. CDC print shop manager Chuck Black says sign production has increased at least 110 percent and up to 140 percent over the past six years.
Some of that can be attributed to the merging of the Miller and Coors brands, but Black says it all has to do with simple demand.
“We offer the high quality printing that a lot of our competitors aren’t able to do, so it gives us an edge. We get opportunities to put up signage where not many others can, just because they want that quality,” says Black.
An important component of the quality produced by the CDC’s print shop is keeping up with the latest technology it gets from LexJet. That way the CDC adds versatility to quality, winning on all fronts in Denver’s beer wars.
The print shop recently added CET Color’s X-Press 500H UV Hybrid R-T-R/Flatbed printer as well as a Canon iPF9000S to its lineup, both of which have helped boost production and meet the demand in the field.
“The new CET UV-curable printer has updated heads and the passes are a lot smoother in the overlap, which means you don’t see the same banding you might usually see in a UV printer. It’s running at medium resolution and it’s running faster than our older UV printer at its lowest resolution, plus it was a lot less expensive than our original UV printer,” says Black.
Since the printer’s a hybrid, it can print directly to flat, rigid materials like Coroplast as well as roll material like banner stock. Black says the UV inks provide a matte finish regardless of whether the print surface is gloss, matte or luster, so when something needs the pop of gloss to make it shine indoors, the Canon printer takes over.
The added speed and quality of the two printers allows the CDC to offer its accounts a wider range of signs, including creative Coroplast cut-outs (pictured) for special promotions. Also, and most importantly, the CDC’s beverage brands are front and center, dominating the point of sale in its market.
“The newer technology, with both the CET UV printer and the Canon, helps us win advertising space. When our reps put out our signs they really impress the owners of the businesses we serve,” adds Black.
Thank you for your blog. We are in the process of evaluating the CET 500 Flatbed and have been impressed, but it is great to read comments from someone using the machine in production. If you have any other comments about the CET equipment, please let me know.