BINDERY matters

Company Enters Diecutting Business

SANTA FE SPRINGS, CA—Established in 1997, Crown Finishing has operated as a low-profile trade shop serving the special needs of the folding carton industry. Until recently Crown's business had exclusively consisted of UV coating, but last fall the company expanded into diecutting with the purchase of its first diecutter, a Bobst SPeria 106 E.

"We saw the opportunity to grow," explains president and CEO Armando Garcia. "As a trade shop we're driven by our customers' needs and the addition of die-cutting and scoring has proven to be very profitable."

The Bobst SPeria 106 E was selected by Crown Finishing based on several factors.

"Much of the diecutting work we are getting is the overflow from our larger customers," Garcia reveals. "Having a Bobst, as so many of them do, allows us to use the same tooling—a tremendous savings all by itself."

Training and support also influenced Garcia's decision, as well as a desire to successfully compete.

"The folding carton business in Southern California is extremely competitive," Garcia contends. "There are any number of shops like ours going after the same business. We felt that entering this new area required us to show that we intend to grow and further enhance the ways that we can serve our customers."

Bindery Increases Folding Capacity

DETROIT—Schultz Bindery, an ISO 9000-certified postpress services provider, recently installed a new MBO 30˝ folder. The addition of the MBO to its existing fleet of folders significantly increases the bindery's capacity for performing all folding projects, especially double gatefolds.

"We got the new MBO with a number of add-ons to get products into our customers' hands faster," says Tom Schultz, president of Schultz Bindery.

"Before the installation, we were already finishing projects that required us to fold hundreds of thousands of pieces. Now we can handle even more of these projects without sacrificing turnaround times."