Experience Innovation at PRINT 17
Cedar Graphics is a full-service print and communications company based in Hiawatha, IA. While it is owned and operated by Hassan Igram, CEO, the company was originally started by his father, Charlie, who was in and out of the print business several times throughout his life, before eventually selling his business to Hassan in 1983, when it was renamed Cedar Graphics.
Hassan views printing as a combination of art, science, manufacturing, and service, and he was the one who insisted his father sell the business to him, rather than to an outside party when his father was ready to move on. He enjoys the fact that print includes a little chemistry, creative use of raw materials, precise engineering and job planning, vivid color reproduction, the challenge of making the sale, and the joy of a customer’s satisfaction.
This year, Hassan Ingram is looking forward to PRINT 17, since, he notes, they are “looking for ancillary equipment, especially for our digital print department.” And the incredible range of vendors and technologies all coming together will make that much easier for him to directly compare different solutions, before deciding what will ultimately benefit his shop. In particular, he says, they are looking for digital finishing equipment, Polar Cutting systems, perfect binders, and stitchers. But he notes that they also plan to check out a wide variety of additional products, not passing up the chance to see what else the industry has to offer, even if it’s not on their immediate purchase list going into the show.
“I’m the CEO and kind of an equipment junkie,” Ingram says. And the shop’s equipment list bears that out. Today, they are running a wide range of different pieces, all designed to allow them to serve the widest base of clientele. They are currently running: the HP (Booth 613) Indigo 7800, 7900, and 10000; Fujifilm (Booth 2013) UV flatbed inkjet; Kodak Digimaster; KBA (Booth 213) 105 6-color, and KBA 106 8-color perfecter; MBO folders; a Muller Martini (Booth 625) stitcher; and Polar cutters.
The shop can handle a wide range of job types, ranging from multi-color annual reports, catalogs, brochures, posters, and variable data printing to simple one-color fliers, promotional items, and e-commerce programs. It also offers services that span the process, from prepress to printing, finishing, fulfillment, and web solutions.
Its customers include Fortune 500 companies, publishers, ad agencies, storefronts, and entrepreneurs. And thanks to its expert staff and dedication to outstanding production, service, and value, Cedar Graphics has also earned numerous awards.
For Cedar Graphics, a commercial printer that grew from humble beginnings to a powerhouse in the market, PRINT 17 is a valuable source to turn to for researching and experiencing a wide range of equipment and solutions that can help take the company to the next level.
