2024 Innovator of the Year: Freedom Graphic Systems Leads with New Technology

Editor's Note: Innovation may look different for every company; however, the industry leaders make innovation part of their DNA. By utilizing new technology, developing comprehensive investment strategies, implementing unique human resources practices, and integrating top-of-the-line processes, they can stand out as true innovators.

Our six Printing Impressions' 2024 Innovators of the Year were nominated by printing industry experts and consultants who identified them as pushing the boundaries of innovation. The business tactics and philosophies they employ may provide some inspiration to take your company to similar, greater heights.

The summary of Freedom Graphic Systems that follows shares what makes this company innovative, interesting, and exceptional. The insight it presents may provide the inspiration you need to take your company to a new level, or in a new direction.

Being a debt-free company that invests an average of $8 million into new technology each year, Freedom Graphic Systems embodies everything you would expect from an innovator. The Milton, Wisconsin-based direct mail printer serves its clients with the data-driven, personalized mailing solutions they need.

Founded in 1986 by CEO Marty Liebert, the company wasn’t always a direct mail powerhouse. Its early days were primarily filled with forms printing, outsourcing laser imaging and enveloping to other letter shops. Liebert saw erosion in the forms business and an opportunity to bring more value to his customers by adding more services, explains Eric Blohm, president and chief operating officer at Freedom.

Eric Blohm serves as the president and chief operating officer at Freedom Graphic Systems.

Blohm adds that Liebert’s approach was unique, being one of the first in the industry to put inkjet print heads on presses in the late ’80s, and heavily investing in in-line finishing and direct marketing. At the time, he says there were only two other companies doing that — both of which are no longer in business.

That focus on direct mail coupled with a few key acquisitions is what brought Freedom to where it is today — offering a full suite of direct mail services from strategy and format design to project management, data solutions, print manufacturing, letter shop and fulfillment, and delivery.

Investing with High-Volume in Mind

Freedom’s four Midwest facilities — two in Wisconsin and two in Illinois — feature the same equipment and capabilities. This enables it to take on high volumes and deliver in a short window while also offering disaster recovery, Blohm says. “We really look at our company — and we’re only about an hour and a half drive away between Illinois and Wisconsin — as one plant,” he explains.

It serves a wide range of markets from financial services, nonprofits, and healthcare to retail, consumer products, and travel, among others. It employs roughly 600 employees, boasts annual sales of $150-160 million, and has the capacity to produce 150-200 million pieces per month.

Looking at the past 10 years, Blohm says that’s where you can really see the acceleration of Freedom and its heavy investment strategy — putting $68 million dollars into new equipment, new plants, and new technology. Within that has been an investment in wide web lithographic presses and digital presses, primarily HP and Canon platforms, along with in-line finishing.

“Our vision is print, image, cut, fold; do your origami all in one process,” Blohm says. “And then either deliver it directly to the mail or send it to one last operation, which would be putting it in an envelope.”

What it comes down to for Freedom is, how does its technology and offerings support the marketer?

That’s where its investment strategy lies. It then takes a marketer’s need to its operations or “smart minds,” as Blohm calls them, who can then envision a solution.

“They create a business case and boom, next thing you know our capital investment is going in that area,” he says.

Because direct mail competes with other channels, time is of the essence, Blohm says. A quicker turnaround gives the marketer more time to get fresh data and deliver relevant mail pieces to consumers.

Freedom continues to expand its fleet of digital presses with its newest wide web digital press.

Building Cultural Capital

While technology investments are a huge part of Freedom’s success story, it’s not just about the equipment. It puts a lot of investment into people, whether its customer partnerships or continuing education for its employees.

“Our clients really feel a true partnership with us every step of the way,” Laura Helfers, vice president of creative solutions, says. “And we truly enjoy working with them to not only bring their ideas to fruition but to help educate them on the benefits of the Freedom platform, as well as navigate through the USPS regulations for successful mail piece design, the pricing structure as it changes over time, and also obtain benefits from the USPS annual promotions. A lot of our clients lean on us for that education, and it’s great that they can benefit from our knowledge and experience.”

Beyond that, Freedom also heavily invests in its employees, which speaks volumes about the long tenure of its staff. Freedom University, an employee-led continuing education program, allows employees to advance their skills and careers while building camaraderie and connecting with teammates from different departments.

Freedom brings in outside services to teach everything from office skills and leadership development to English and Spanish as second languages. It also uses its knowledgeable staff to share and teach others across departments. “It contributes to the overall growth of the company as a whole,” Helfers adds.

Each year, leadership does a review, asking managers what topics need to be covered and taught. From there, they source the right resources to ensure the team is trained. Last year, Spanish as a second language was added to the program after employees expressed interest in better communicating with their co-workers.

If there’s one lesson here, it’s to engage with employees. A company can spend time and money on new equipment and chasing the latest technology, but the people are what make the technology run, Blohm says.

He adds that everyone has a seat at the table, and with 27 countries represented within the team, there are plenty of ideas to go around. He credits his team’s diverse background to Freedom’s ability to be innovative.

“You take all of that and you put it on a problem and what that does is it creates different ideas,” he continues. That unified environment is where he says constructive conflict can live — a place where employees can express their opinions and feel heard.

“Innovation comes from your people. It does not come from your top management. You have to create that culture that enables that to happen,” he stresses.

Looking ahead at what’s next for Freedom, it wants to remain the No. 1 choice for mid- to high-volume direct mail production, and anything that surrounds that mission will be where capital investments will go.