Inkjet & Digital Printing

PHENIX STAYS AHEAD IN THE COMPETITIVE LABEL PRINTING MARKET, USING THE HP INDIGO WS6000

Friday 10. August 2012 - When Hans Peter's great-grandfather sought a name for his label printing company in 1896, he was drawn to the phoenix because of the mythical bird's power to reinvent itself.

For more than 100 years the company has used this inspiration to evolve with customers’ demands.
Today Peter, president and CEO of the Kansas-based company, is once again evolving his company’s capabilities to compete among the industry’s growing conglomerates. To keep up with larger competitors in the fast-paced consumer product industries it serves, Phenix turned to the versatile HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press. Using innovative customer service and the power of digital printing, the 105-employee operation grew around 25% in 2011, and its reputation continues to soar with its customers.
Top-tier service and print quality
“We felt like we were never going to compete on size—our strength is in the service,” says Mark Volz, vice president of marketing and sales at Phenix. The company attributes its success to being able to help customers develop effective, eye-catching labels. And, it relies on the print quality and versatility of its two HP Indigo WS6000s to help it do just that.
“Our customers need their products to stand out on the retail shelf and grab someone’s attention in just 7 seconds,” says Volz. Phenix uses its expertise, combined with the HP Indigo WS6000’s extensive color gamut, to meet the demanding color requirements that define its customers’ brands. Using exclusive HP ElectroInk, the press delivers vibrant color quality that surpasses conventional printing—and gets noticed.
Thanks to the HP Indigo WS6000’s ability to deliver that exceptional quality in cost-effective short runs, the company has also gained improved revision control and the ability to create prototypes.
Speed when it counts
In an industry where speed counts, digital printing has also helped Phenix match the rapid turnaround its customers demand. “We get calls where someone says they need labels the next day, and we haven’t even seen the artwork yet. With traditional flexo printing, it couldn’t happen,” says Peter. Thanks to print speeds up to 98 feet (29.9 meters) per minute for 4-color jobs, the HP Indigo WS6000 Digital Press can get jobs done on short notice.
Digital printing also helps the company save time through a more streamlined pre-press process and better revision control compared with traditional flexo printing. “Saving a few hours by eliminating the plate making and setup process can make the difference we need to make a same-day delivery,” says Peter.
“Although it varies,” he adds, “I can easily say we produce twice the throughput for jobs less than 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) compared with traditional flexo methods.” By avoiding the costly setup time associated with traditional flexo printing, Phenix is also better equipped to meet customers’ increasing demands for cost-effective short runs with a wider variety of SKUs.
Digital printing cuts waste
With a supported frame size of 12.48 x 38.58 inches (31.7 x 98 centimeters), the HP Indigo WS6000 also uses more of the substrate, helping Phenix reduce waste. According to Peter, the digital printing process creates up to 15% to 20% less waste than traditional flexo.
Less waste leads to increased savings and helps the company’s customers reduce the environmental impact of their printing. Digital printing also enables Phenix’s customers to print just what they need, when they need it, which helps eliminate additional waste as a result of obsolescence.
According to Volz, customers appreciate the company’s strong environmental initiatives, including a label liner take-back program and a recycling program that sends print waste to a manufacturer of energy pellets, along with the waste reductions from digital printing. “Our customers in the consumer products industry are selling to major retailers, who require scorecards that evaluate how well our customers are reducing their carbon footprint. We have been a key partner to help them continue their success,” says Volz.
The future of Phenix
By offering innovative customer service backed by the versatile capabilities of digital, Phenix is poised to continue its success within an industry that is losing smaller label printers.
“The landscape of our printing industry is becoming more concentrated. There are a smaller number of printers,” says Peter. “Digital printing is a way to separate ourselves from the pack.”
“We’re going to grow. If you don’t grow, you don’t survive,” he adds. “I see digital playing a bigger role in that growth.”