Ambrose Printing: Meaningful Enough to Print

Factor in the green movement on most campuses, and Ambrose Printing finds itself working harder than ever to keep a close tab on its collegiate customers' evolving needs. However, game programs and posters have helped compensate for the media guide share erosion, according to Ambrose.

"We just need to look at the direction they're taking, where they're going, and show them what we can offer," he says. "That's the universal game—communicating with your customers and seeing where they want to go."

Entering New Niches

Ambrose Printing is diversifying its offerings. About 5 percent to 10 percent of its workload output is corrugated box labels for the retail sector. The company also provides guidance on design elements.

As for perhaps its best opportunity for growth, Ambrose Printing has made strong inroads into the retail POP/POS space, buoyed by the recent acquisition of a five-color Xeikon 5000 digital press. Ambrose liked the 5000's ability to print on a wide variety of substrates and formats.

"Xeikon is the only toner-based digital color press available on the market that has no frame or sheet size restrictions, and produces offset-like quality," he says. "In addition, it prints on both sides of the substrate at the same time and has little to no makeready time, which allows us to be more productive and efficient."

The Xeikon can handle a variety of media, including coated and uncoated paper, with weights ranging from 27-lb. text to 130-lb. cover. With the 5000, Ambrose Printing can accept short- to medium-run jobs involving variable data printing, which it could not deliver cost-effectively prior to installing the press.

Ambrose Printing works through agencies, as well as directly with some of the nation's largest retailers. From a digital standpoint, the company president sees a bounty of untapped potential.