First Cut-Sheet Inkjet Press Installed in Minnesota

At a customer event this week in Chanhassen, Minn., Canon Solutions America, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., announced that IWCO Direct is the first U.S. company to install the new cut-sheet Océ VarioPrint i300 inkjet press, along with a continuous-feed Océ ImageStream 3500 inkjet press.

“We were looking for ways to drive dynamic content further while offering advances in segmentation and short- to mid-range runs,” said Dave Johannes, senior vice president, Operations, IWCO Direct. “There was a void for us in the four-color cut-sheet world, but we are now fully equipped to address the needs of an expanded customer base with these new inkjet technologies.”

IWCO Direct has transformed from a local, family-operated company to a national provider of marketing services. The latest installations mark a turning point as it will now boast a full-color sheet-fed inkjet arsenal with unprecedented media flexibility. Additionally, as the only entity in the U.S. with an Océ ImageStream 3500, the continuous feed inkjet press built to print on standard offset paper, IWCO Direct can now offer its customers the freedom of choice between digital inkjet or conventional printing technologies depending on job requirements without having to stock different paper types for each technology.

“This is one of the biggest moments in our company’s history," remarked Jim Andersen, CEO, IWCO Direct. "The fact that Canon Solutions America has allowed us to look behind the curtain and give real input into these new innovations, has allowed us to target a broader, more diverse customer profile. On both sides, there is a willingness and appetite to listen and consistently improve the latest technologies that we deliver.”

“We understand the invaluable merit of including customer input as we begin to roll out new technology across our portfolio,” said Mal Baboyian, executive vice president, Large Format Solutions/Production Print Solutions, Canon Solutions America. “As we have done with previous products, we brought IWCO Direct into the conversation to ensure that the Océ VarioPrint i300, our first cutsheet inkjet press, and the Océ ImageStream 3500 inkjet press, could meet the needs of our evolving customer bases. The best way to move the industry forward is to hear directly from those using the machines on a daily basis.”

The landmark installations were unveiled during Canon Solutions America’s Future of Inkjet Customer Event, which took place at the IWCO Direct facility. Throughout the day, guests were given the opportunity to hear from industry experts, as well as executives from IWCO Direct and Canon Solutions America, while being some of the first to see the Océ VarioPrint i300 and Océ ImageStream 3500 running live in a professional production facility.

“This event brought together the very people who helped make this day possible,” relayed Francis McMahon, vice president, Marketing, Production Print Solutions, Canon Solutions America. “This was not only a celebration of the equipment, but of the relationship that goes back a long time between these two companies who are committed to moving the industry forward.”