Carlith Selects Suite of EFI Products to Increase Production Efficiencies

FOSTER CITY, CA—Oct. 17, 2011—EFI, a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, announced that Carlith LLC has chosen a suite of EFI solutions to streamline its operations and provide a foundation for future growth. Carlith is deploying EFI Digital StoreFront web-to-print, EFI Pace MIS, Pace scheduling, EFI Auto-Count direct machine interface, and the SmartLinc Process Shipper freight management solution. The company also recently installed its first digital press by MGI, driven by EFI Fiery technology.

A leading full-service commercial printer in the greater Chicago metropolitan area, Carlith is a portfolio company of SR Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. Soon after Carlith was purchased by SR Capital in June, the company began reviewing available print MIS products. Carlith was an existing EFI PSI user, but was not taking full advantage of the system. After a thorough evaluation, EFI came out on top again and Carlith signed the EFI contract at this year’s GRAPH EXPO conference.

“The suite of solutions from EFI is a perfect fit for our needs,” said Shaffiq Rahim, chairman of Carlith. “There is a reason the majority of MIS and Web-to-Print implementations in the marketplace are EFI systems – they are the most dynamic and are backed by a solid technology company with a true commitment to its customers.”

Strong financial reporting and the ability for the systems to grow with the company were key decision factors for Carlith. Continues Rahim, “To really grow the business we need to understand profitability per job, as well as be able to track each job from start to finish, so EFI Pace was the best choice. We also needed a system that could handle inventory management, and now our hand-held scanners will be integrated with Pace. As we expand into digital printing, fulfillment and logistics, we’re confident the strong EFI solutions we’re implementing are the right ones to grow along with us.”

The integration of Digital StoreFront and Pace with their Fiery technology will ensure even greater productivity for Carlith.

“Carlith understands the benefits of operating an integrated, end-to-end management system, and we expect to exceed their expectations when all the solutions are up and running,” said Marc Olin, senior vice president and general manager of APPS, EFI.

About EFI
EFI is a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation. EFI's award-winning solutions, integrated from creation to print, deliver increased performance, cost savings and productivity. The company's robust product portfolio includes Fiery digital print controllers and solutions; VUTEk superwide digital inkjet printers, UV and solvent inks; Rastek UV wide-format inkjet printers; Jetrion industrial inkjet printing systems; print production workflow and management information software; and corporate printing solutions.

About Carlith LLC
Carlith LLC was founded in 1953 and is the leading full-service commercial printing company in the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Carlith offers customers a range of services and options across the printing process, produced in a single facility with state-of-the art equipment to ensure continuous quality and efficient production capabilities. Carlith is currently G7-certified and is in the process of completing ISO certification in the coming months to ensure the production process meets strict customer requirements. Carlith LLC is a portfolio company of SR Capital Partners, formed to complete the acquisition of Carlith Printing, Inc. in June 2011.

About SR Capital Partners, LLC
Based in Los Angeles, SR Capital Partners is a private equity firm focused on industrial/commercial manufacturing and business services companies with revenues between $10 and $50 million. SR Capital Partners invests in companies with stable cash flow, high growth potential and strong, experienced management teams. SR Capital Partners focuses on investments across the United States, with a strong preference for companies that are manufacturing within North America.

Source: EFI.