Strahm Acquires an Océ ColorStream 3500 Digital Inkjet Press from Canon Solutions America

MELVILLE, NY—September 26, 2014—Canon Solutions America, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., today announced that Strahm Automation and Mailing Services has acquired an Océ ColorStream 3500 high-speed, digital inkjet press.

Founded in 1913 as a simple print shop, Kansas City, MO-based Strahm Automation and Mailing Services evolved from a traditional offset printing company to a print-and-mail operation by the 1990s. When current President Brian Dicker purchased Strahm in 1995, he wasted no time transitioning the company to 100 percent digital. These days, Dicker describes the business as a document composer, manufacturer, and deliverer of value-added documents. Its primary applications include transactional mail such as utility bills, jury duty notifications, medical test results, and tax statements.

While Strahm’s commitment to service and quality has remained constant over the past 100 years, the manner in which it responds to customer demands has changed dramatically. In particular, Strahm has embraced the print-on-demand model as the most efficient and cost-effective means of responding to the increasing demand for short-run jobs. Dicker recognized that moving from toner to inkjet would give Strahm a competitive edge in the market: inkjet will provide them the ability to be more creative and widen their product offerings, while at the same time providing a higher quality document at a lower price to their customers.



Shopping Around
Dedicated to delivering world-class solutions at market prices, Strahm consistently invests in the best equipment and latest technology. Recognizing the time had come to transition from toner to inkjet, Dicker spent four years investigating his options. The available technology was impressive, but it wasn’t until ink and paper manufacturers rose to the occasion and began making high-quality, low-cost products for inkjet that Dicker decided to pull the trigger.

After carefully considering a wide array of inkjet equipment, Strahm narrowed it down to a small group of finalists, including the Océ ColorStream 3500. All offered similar capabilities at a comparable price point, and for Dicker, a long-time Canon Solutions America customer, the choice was clear.

"There are multiple good engines out there, but Canon Solutions America’s infrastructure is really what made the difference," said Dicker. "Canon Solutions America offers the infrastructure we can depend on to support the product and our production needs. We can trust them to do the right thing."

Dicker and his staff were impressed with the high quality, brilliant full-color output of the Océ ColorStream 3500, which they deemed ideal for transactional and direct mail applications. Perhaps the greatest benefit is that the Océ ColorStream 3500 will allow Strahm to eliminate the massive amount of customer preprinted shells currently taking up 40,000 to 50,000 square feet of warehouse space.

Gearing Up
Strahm began preparing for the arrival of the Océ ColorStream 3500 well in advance, training his staff on the fundamentals of color printing and sending a core team of associates to Canon Solutions America’s Boca Raton offices for an intensive week-long Color Management training.



While it’s easy to presume that Strahm will reap the bulk of the benefits, its customers will also find themselves on the receiving end in terms of outstanding printed deliverables at a more reasonable cost.

"With the Océ ColorStream 3500, Strahm gains the ability to more effectively respond to ever-changing customer demands, resulting in a finished product that delivers on expectations," noted Francis A. McMahon, vice president, marketing, Production Print Solutions division of Canon Solutions America. "At the same time, its cutting edge technology and low-waste operation allows Strahm to pass savings along to its customers, creating even greater satisfaction and loyalty."

The installation process has just begun and Strahm is already stirring up excitement about the Océ ColorStream 3500 among its customers, explaining exactly what this latest acquisition will mean to them. The reaction has been wildly enthusiastic.

"Our client base is very excited about the advantages in quality and pricing they stand to gain from this new technology," said Dicker. "They also appreciate that we will be getting away from preprinted shells. Already, they are bringing more opportunities to us."

About Strahm Automation and Mailing Services
Strahm Automation and Mailing Services is a boutique multi-channel services shop offering custom solutions to meet clients’ needs. It has a proven track record producing utility billing and mailing, account management, summary billing, and paperless billing for utilities, court systems, medical labs, and municipalities. From conventional to digital document manufacturing and delivery, Strahm works with its clients to facilitate their progress into the digital marketplace. With a facility boasting more than 95,000 square feet and a firm belief that technology provides a competitive advantage, Strahm has invested heavily in hardware and software to deliver world-class solutions at competitive price points.

About Canon Solutions America
Combining the strengths of the former Canon Business Solutions, Inc. and Océ North America, Canon Solutions America provides industry leading enterprise services, advanced production print technology and large-format solutions supported by exceptional professional service offerings. Canon Solutions America helps companies of all sizes to improve their business by increasing efficiency, controlling costs and becoming more environmentally conscious. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A. Canon Solutions America is headquartered in Melville, NY, and has sales and service locations across the United States.

Source: Canon Solutions America.