IWCO Direct

Commercial printer equipment installations and other news from Printing Impressions’ June 2013 edition, featuring Anderson/LA, a Consolidated Graphics company; and Excell Color Graphics.

Direct mail is still considered the marketing channel of choice by a vast number of marketers across verticals ranging from telecom and utilities to nonprofit, publishing and financial services. According to the Direct Marketing Association's “2012 Response Rate Report,” the rates for letter-sized direct mail (3.4 percent) were 30 times higher than those for email (0.12 percent). The belief that direct mail is dead or dying will have to be suspended for the time being.

“The big idea behind our new approach is this: direct mail powers cross-channel marketing programs, drives audiences to action and improves performance across the board—from broadcast and traditional print advertising to social media, email campaigns and other digital channels,” Jim Andersen, CEO of IWCO Direct, explained.

CHANHASSEN, MN—IWCO Direct has begun to implement the next phase of its strategic platform enhancements. This includes the expansion of its headquarters campus and the installation of numerous pieces of high-speed equipment here and across the platform.

IWCO Direct is now installing 22 Océ VarioStream 8750 digital web printers that will increase its personalization capacity by approximately 35 percent. In total, it will install more than 60 pieces of equipment at its facilities in Chanhassen, MN, and Hamburg, PA, during the next five months

RIPON, WI—Andy Lyke, president of Ripon Printers, has been named the 2012 recipient of the Harry V. Quadracci VISION Award, the Web Offset Association and Printing Industries of America announced. Lyke will be honored during the Offset & Beyond Conference to be held June 4-6 at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch in St. Louis.

CHANHASSEN, MN—IWCO Direct, a national provider of direct marketing solutions, will invest $4 million to reset its production platform during the next 60-120 days. This reset is driven by opportunities presented with the company’s recent $13 million purchase of high-speed equipment from DGI Services, combined with response to market strategy shifts within the financial services and insurance sectors.

IWCO Direct will invest $4 million to “reset” its production platform, partly to capitalize on opportunities presented by its purchase of equipment from DGI Services. Its facility in Downey, CA, will be closed, impacting some 250 employees, but approximately 100 positions will be added in in Chanhassen, MN, and Hamburg, PA.

Three of the four issues of most interest to Printing Industries of America (PIA) and its lobby—health care, taxes and regulatory—are industry agnostic and impact most Americans. And, while postal reform could impact thousands of workers and the nation's mail system, it is mostly driven by the mailing community.

Direct marketing solutions provider IWCO Direct has purchased a portion of the assets of DGI Services, a former direct marketing services firm based in Swedesboro, NJ. There was a bit of controversy surrounding the closure of DGI Services. In a letter to employees explaining the decision, “industrial sabotage” was the given reason.