Intech Printing & Direct Mail Finds Perfect Leadership Match

From the left: Rodney Held, president; Dale Haddad, CFO; and Dave Wacker, COO.

A view of the front of Intech Printing & Direct Mail's building in Naples, Fla.

Ron Notman operates equipment to produce direct mail.

Bill Lardella produces foil stamping using a Kluge.

Jimmy Lafevers operates a Presto bookletmaker.

John Bricker adds ink to the press.

Intech Printing's Mike Pepin aligns paper on a Polar cutter.

After nearly three decades in business, David Wacker — the owner of Intech Printing & Direct Mail — was ready to take his Naples, Fla.-based business to the next level. “I wanted to get more aggressive in terms of sales growth and expansion, but I realized it would be quite a large undertaking to do it all by myself.”

As luck would have it, Wacker came in contact with Rodney Held and Dale Haddad, and the three men started talking about strategic planning and the possibility of joining forces. “I was always more of an operations guy,” Wacker explains. “Rodney’s background has been in sales, and Dale has worked in finance. It was like a match made in heaven.”

Fast-forward to today, and Held holds the title of president, Haddad is CFO and Wacker serves as COO of the company that his parents started.

The 22-employee firm plans to add 10 to 12 new positions in sales, client services and production. The management team has hired a recruiter and placed jobs on billboards to retain talent. Held, who worked in sales management at Canon, has created the new marketing strategy. “Hiring salespeople is the fuel that drives the engine,” he says. “We need a larger a sales force to provide quality results as we expand our business.”

Haddad, a CPA, was also a founding shareholder and CFO of a $50 million software company. Among other things, Wacker jokes, Haddad is responsible for “keeping us in line and making sure we can afford everything.

“We have been investigating new color management tools and we’re always looking at new digital printing equipment, including the possibility of acquiring production inkjet technology,” Wacker explains.

In addition to its Naples facility, Intech shares a warehouse with another company in Marion, Ohio. Through this partnership, the firm also has access to shared digital equipment.

Intech is a G7 Master qualified, sheetfed offset and digital print provider serving the nonprofit, education, healthcare and political markets. Not surprisingly for a company based in southwest Florida, senior living has also been a growing segment.

The firm produces everything from business cards to annual reports, presentation materials, catalogs, booklets, brochures, training manuals and newsletters, as well as direct mail. As part of its growing portfolio, Intech recently expanded its offerings in grand-format signage and displays; advertising and promotional products; as well as print-on-demand, soft-and case-bound books.

“We see a huge growth opportunity for point of sales materials,” says Held. Wacker adds, “We already have HP and Epson wide-format digital printers, and we turn to outside vendors as strategic partners for the jobs when we don’t have the equipment or expertise.”

Customers expect Intech to be a one-stop shop for all of their printing needs, and so the team is aiming to fulfill that role.

“We maintain a 15,000-square-foot brick-and-mortar facility in Florida, but we have also developed an online presence to serve the other 49 states,” Wacker notes. “BestPrintingOnline.com is used by businesses throughout the country. We also do work for the trade, too.”

The website first launched in 2003. “I wanted to open things up to the whole country,” Wacker explains. “We spent several months getting the foundation in place to handle the additional business — from the electronic job tickets to final delivery. And we have continued product development all along the way. Now we have a truly integrated system. From scheduling to shipment tracking, and obviously file transfers and proofing, all of the pieces are integrated.”

Intech was also an early adopter of digital printing, installing its first digital press in 2003. In addition, Held notes, “One factor that distinguishes us from other online printers is that we’re not doing gang runs. All of our jobs are printed custom. The thought was, ‘Let’s take what makes us successful and offer it online.’ And that is: custom, high-quality, full-color printing, as well as mailing services.” Intech has maintained a dedicated mail division since 1999.

According to Wacker, Intech measures its success by how successful its customers are. “So many of our clients stem from referrals from existing clients. There’s no better measure of success than that.”

In addition to keeping its clientele happy, the management team at Intech is well aware that a satisfied employee base of current workers and new hires is also key. “We’re considering different options as we look to expand our business with new talent,” Held points out. “We’re in discussion with a couple of different companies about the possibility of an acquisition, and we’re continuously exploring all growth opportunities.”

The key, of course, is finding the perfect match. PI