Braintree Owner Jim Corliss Addresses the Challenges, Opportunities of 3-D Printing
BRAINTREE, MA—May 20, 2014—Jim Corliss of Braintree Printing, a long-time leader in the digital and offset printing industry and a 3-D print provider, was a keynote speaker at this year’s AppForum held by PODi, April 1, in Las Vegas. Corliss, co-owner of the Massachusetts-based printing company, shared his insights on and first-hand business experience with 3-D printing and discussed its place as an emerging technology in the printing industry.
The first New England printer to offer 3-D printing services, Braintree Printing purchased a Dimension 1200es 3-D printer from Stratasys in 2013. Corliss said the model takes customer digital files and turns them into 3-D plastic objects in minutes. Braintree Printing produces prototypes, customized parts, architectural and medical models and more.
Corliss said 3-D technology had a quick learning curve at Braintree Printing where employees mastered the technology and produced 3-D products within hours. Customer service representative, Robin Clark, was among the first to test the new 3-D printer. In the past year, she created an assortment of 3-D products, from an entire chess set to screws, chains, gears, wheels, and a human heart. The 3-D printer produces models as large as 10x10x12 in multiple colors. Corliss said 3-D printers are a boon to new product development, allowing businesses to perfect products before they go to manufacturing—all at the touch of a button.
As Corliss explained to attendees of the AppForum conference, the challenges of becoming a profitable 3-D print provider have been two-fold for Braintree Printing: customers and competition. Corliss has had to expand his sales outreach to a new market targeting designers, engineers, medical professionals and product developers. Competition has also proven to be a trial with large, well-established 3-D print providers cornering the market.
Though 3-D printing does have its challenges, Corliss said Braintree Printing remains enthusiastic about their latest investment. To Corliss and his Braintree Printing co-owners Jerry Hogan and Jose Tafur, 3-D printing is another step forward for their innovative company. “We always stay ahead of the curve and invest in the latest and greatest printing equipment and this is no exception,” he said. Corliss said he installed the 3-D printer front and center in Braintree Printing’s lobby so customers get a first-hand view of the machine in action.
About Braintree Printing
Braintree Printing provides offset printing and digital printing for printers and print brokers throughout the Northeast. Owned by Jim Corliss, Jerry Hogan and Jose Tafur, the 30-year-old company specializes in high-end, four- and five-color offset printing and digital printing, book printing, and various types of bindery and finishing. With $6.51 million in annual sales, Braintree ranked 19th and was the highest ranking Massachusetts printer on Quick Printing Magazine’s 2013 Top 100 List. Braintree Printing operates in a 17,000-square-foot plant on Wood Road in Braintree, MA.
Source: Braintree Printing.
