Gateway Printing -- Forging Good Relationships
Value of Trade Shows
Montana is not an island, so to speak, for the owners of Gateway Printing. Jan and Mike Peissig enjoy making the annual trek to Chicago for Graph Expo or for the Print show. They find it critical to have information on environmental solutions, technologies and vendor support in one convenient location.
Another pivotal acquisition for Gateway has been a browser-based EFI Pace print management system. Peissig calls the capability to integrate estimating, invoicing, production and accounting a "tremendous move," and hopes to further develop and grow into the MIS application.
Gateway does not thrive on print alone. Promotional products—coffee mugs, pens and pencils—account for about 30 percent of the company's sales and Peissig feels there is room for growth in that space, as well. "We find promotional products to be a great complement to the products and services we offer," he says. "They have helped bring in some more printing opportunities and vice versa.
Not that Mike Peissig is dismissing digital printing, mind you. A high-speed color digital machine is on his wish list of capabilities, along with direct mail printing and fulfillment. In-house foil stamping and embossing capabilities are also on Peissig's radar.
"A commercial printer of our size should go into color copying. I think that's a prudent transition into developing and nurturing growth," Peissig remarks. "It can offer us a retail avenue. We're also trying to develop online ordering services for businesses with multiple locations, such as financial institutions and insurance companies. We want to expand our Web interface and online inventory control."
As Gateway Printing continues to move in new directions, such as Web-to-print and fulfillment capabilities, Peissig is heartened by the knowledge that his two sons—Tyson and Troy—are involved in the business, and have their own ideas and concepts for the future of the company.
