Short-Run Niche

What does it mean to be a short-run packaging printer? At a minimum, integrating short print runs into an overall business plan typically requires an investment in employee training and education, as well as the implementation of lean manufacturing/continuous improvement concepts. It may or may not entail the purchase of additional equipment, but whether the equipment in question is offset or digital, regular preventive maintenance is a must to keep it in top working order. The overall aim of each and every one of these measures is to maximize efficiencies and reduce or eliminate the waste associated with an increase in the number of job setups.

Mid-York Press in Sherburne, N.Y. considers itself a market leader among short-run package printers. Established in 1828, the company was, until 1982, a self-described "general commercial printer with a small packaging sideline." Under the leadership of its current President and CEO Bob Tenney, however, Mid-York by 1995 had made a transition to folding cartons almost exclusively, with a focus on short-run production.

Establishing a short-run niche

There were some growing pains. For example, Tenney said, "We had only half-size presses when we got into the packaging business, and we couldn't compete with our 40˝ brethren on long runs. So we went after private label manufacturers first, and built the business in that direction." Today, Mid-York is a highly specialized supplier to the pharmaceutical (80 percent) and cosmetic (20 percent) industries nationwide, with a well-established, short-run niche.

"We do pharma for large, U.S.-based companies like Bayer, supplying their smaller, foreign markets," Tenney said. "This permits us to stay in our short-run niche. Now, of course, we have 40˝ capacity ourselves and also can be competitive on longer runs, provided we feel they will be profitable for us."

The company operates both offset and digital equipment, including a newly installed, UV-capable, Heidelberg Speedmaster CX 102 with Intellistart, Pressroom Manager integration, and Axis Control measurement and control system for quality assurance, as well as a Xerox iGen4 with inline aqueous or UV coater. Mid-York chose the Speedmaster CX 102 for its familiar format. "We wanted to retain the same plate size we use on our Speedmaster CD 102s," Tenney said.

"The iGen enables us to run short-run folding cartons up to 9,000 pieces at lower cost with variable data when necessary," Tenney explained. "The rest go on the big presses." That said, "We rarely run full lifts," he added.

At present, Mid-York produces 90 percent of its jobs on one of its four Heidelberg offset presses, and 10 percent on the iGen. There's a reason for this, according to Tenney, who believes that although digital packaging is a promising area for some applications, "The future of short-run packaging still lies with the major offset press manufacturers."

Commitment to continuous improvement

The process of embracing a short-run niche required a wholesale shift in the way Mid-York approached its manufacturing process.

"First, we set up video cameras to record what was happening in the shop," Tenney explained. "That gave us the means to begin eliminating idle time and nonproductive steps and to streamline our processes, most notably, material handling." For example, he said, the company began to have plates and paper delivered to the appropriate press at the same time. It also began sequencing jobs by color, running dark- and light-colored stocks in the same time period to minimize clean-up and set-up times.

"We also improved the allocation of labor," Tenney continued. "Mind you, this was before the arrival of highly automated presses. Working manually, we were able to cut our makeready times in half. Now, we can change over a job in minutes. It's not uncommon for us to set up 18 jobs in an 18-hour shift."

According to Tenney, employee resistance to the new order of things never materialized. Instead, "We find that our operators actually enjoy the stepped-up pace of the work—there's less idle time, and it keeps up their creative energy. They know that's where we make our market and our money because we train them that way."

If the shoe fits …

With sales revenue in the $10 to 20 million range, Mid-York's goal is to increase its business by 50 percent, while retaining 50 percent available capacity. The company operates a pair of facilities in Sherburne, including one dedicated to digital production. It employs 76 full-time and 4 to 10 part-time staff.

"We do what we can do best profitably; and we won't promise what we can't deliver," Tenney said, articulating an operating philosophy notable for the companywide discipline it implies.

"Everyone here understands our emphasis on lean manufacturing, continuous improvement, and 'zero-defect' manufacturing," he said. "Our pressmen are responsible for consistent ink-on-paper performance. Our carton folders and gluers are equipped with cameras and other inspection devices. We sheet our own stock to cut material waste. We schedule preventive maintenance ahead of time. We acquire cutting-edge equipment because we make more money with efficient, productive tools. We accept jobs that fit our model and will be profitable for us and for our customers. It's no accident that our margins are consistently better-than-average, and our prices are lower." n