Think Patented : Leading a Revolution

"The feedback has been positive and clients appreciate being able to stay on top of the market," notes Dave McNerney. "We're not going to know the immediate return on investment but, based on conversations and phone calls we've received, it's been a huge success for us."

Another example of Think Patented zigging while its competitors zag is the firm's willingness to lay out capital expenditures during a down economy. In the last two years alone—two of the most challenging, no less—the business has acquired a pair of Kodak Digimaster EX150 black-and-white presses, a NexPress S2500 digital color production device equipped with a fifth imaging unit, and Kodak's InSite storefront software. The addition of a glosser led to a trio of trademarked offerings: DigiShine (for a UV finish look), DigiTouch (raised dimensional printing) and DigiSoft (soft coat). Much of Think Patented's future capex attention will be aimed at software and the IT world over the next two years. Winther adds that the company will need to budget for the anticipated move to larger accommodations in 2013.