Trend Offset Expands into Florida
Trend Offset was slated to begin production at the Florida facility—in an existing building the company leased—in late February or early March. There is 216,000 square feet available, and Sweetman anticipates Trend will eventually expand to full capacity.
Trend Offset/Jacksonville is slated to manufacture free and paid rack publications; and television, satellite and cable television programming listings (TV Guide is one of its larger customers). The company also produces direct mail catalog work for postal distribution, government printing (several million dollars per year), high-end retail jobs, along with coupon books.
Jacksonville won out over several other locales based upon its regional appeal—the ability to tap into Miami and Dade County, plus reach north toward Georgia and the Carolinas. "Our clients provided us tremendous guidance in selecting Jacksonville," Sweetman notes. "We wanted this facility to benefit them from distribution and postal standpoints."
Trend Offset tapped CreoScitex, Heidelberg and Muller Martini for equipment, investing $18 million in the new facility. Among the new hardware:
- A CreoScitex 3244 platesetter heads the CTP charge, augmented by data communications between plants.
- An eight-unit M-600 double-web press with auto plate changers and closed-loop color control.
- A 12-unit V30 coldset web with two folders. Capable of running at 45,000 iph, the press has much of the same technology of a heatset press.
- A 24-pocket Muller Martini Star perfect binding line.
- A 10-pocket Muller Martini Prima-SB saddle stitcher for selective binding and a five pocket Muller Martini 335 saddle stitcher.
Sweetman notes that Trend Offset's greatest assets are its loyal client base and deep pool of talented personnel. Tied in with the company's division presidents—Todd Nelson (Los Alamitos), Paul Finie (Carrollton)—is John De Fusco, general manager of the Jacksonville plant, and John Grandage, vice president of national sales. Their efforts are enabling national print buyers of heatset, coldset and combination products the ability to manufacture coast-to-coast.
