Fishing for Heidelberg Equipment Helps John Roberts Company Reel in More Packaging Clients

By M. Grace Maselli

The white area is printed to mimic the fishing line product inside, disappearing at some angles.

It’s no tall fish tale. The John Roberts Company, a web and sheetfed commercial printing operation in Minneapolis, MN., took a leap in the last 18 months— investing in excess of $1 million in capital equipment— and with it dove further into package printing services. Among its packaging clients are manufacturers of fishing line, those who cater to enthusiasts interested in the particularities of rods and reels and related gear, and whose eyes are no doubt drawn to sporting goods shelves where John Roberts’ vibrant and sometimes iridescent packaging elements are poised to lure buyers to the nuances of fishing line: monofilament, braid, or fusion. The box on one premium line, for instance, invitingly reads: “Changes Color above Water, Fish Don’t See It Below”.

“We started to ramp up capital investments,” explains John Roberts’ vice president of operations, Dan Erikstrup, of the customer-driven decision to offer a more comprehensive package printing component to the company’s service offerings. So to embellish the equipment list of one diecutter and one pocket folder, John Roberts invested substantial capital in a Heidelberg Dymatrix 105 PRO diecutter with blanking capability and a Heidelberg ECO 105 carton folder and gluer. Particularly on the sheetfed side of the equation, says Michael Keene, president and CEO of John Roberts, “package printing complements our offerings, especially with UV and diecutting capabilities.”

Furthermore, Keene points out about John Roberts’ production scheme and package printing’s place within it, there is similarity between the work the company does for standard commercial accounts and the growing packaging niche. “Package printing is an integrated part of what’s happening already,” says Keene.

“We’re still using six-color presses, and the customer expectation is still for fast turnaround service. Package printing is just as demanding as other types,” confirms Keene. One of those presses is a 40-inch, six-color Heidelberg Speedmaster CD press is one of those. If there’s any difference at all to speak to, Keene continues, it’s that “some packaging accounts want work inventoried— they like us to print a larger quantity, ship a small amount, and keep the rest stored for them.”

Erikstrup calls to mind a recent experience where turnaround time on a package printing job was paramount. “It was a specialty box that required diecutting, printing, folding, and gluing,” he explains. In other words, a production effort that required the assembly of 300,000 boxes—a “multicompononent piece,” Erikstrup notes, that required a sleeve to fit inside the box.

“It was one of our most challenging clients because of the very tight time contraints,” Erikstrup elaborates. “Information came piecemeal, so it was challenging to keep moving forward,” he recalls, “But we completed the job within the due date, and the client continues to work with us on their projects.”

John Roberts recently partnered with DL Designs, experts in box design and construction, to create a seamless experience for the customer.

Despite the likenesses between package printing and commercial work, however, there are noteworthy differences when it comes to the actual machinery. Chris Dorf, senior packaging equipment operator at John Roberts, knows the differences. Consideration of how to execute a package printing job, or if it can be done at all, shifts the questions that get asked of production workflow. “There is a difference,” Dorf says. “Each package is unique and has to be designed with a die in mind; folding sequence needs to be optimized. And we have to consider the number and correct pattern of folds—is it a right or a left fold?— to determine progression within the production sequence, he explains. The workflow deliberation process also asks the question: “How does the fold nest in the paper after printing?”

To be sure the most accurate information is flowing between John Roberts and a given client, the latter is closely aligned with the estimating process. According to Dorf, “We have a planning department inside—the planner and estimator work directly and up front in the process with a customer—so the customer is very clear about what our capabilities are.”

Once more, the client also works very closely with a sales rep to determine exact expectations. “The sales rep uses a physical mock up of the package,” Erikstrup continues, “He or she goes back and visits with Chris Dorf on the production floor to talk through logistics, and brings that back to customers.” Logistics could include how fast a job will run, potential nuances, probable difficulties, etc.

As the lead operator on the new Heidelberg ECO 105 carton folder and gluer, Dorf has been the “nucleus” of John Roberts packaging production, according to Erikstrup. To add more production power to the cycle, the company is training internal employees to run the equipment as fast as possible. The company is also hiring operators from the outside and partnering with Heidelberg to train. “The new package printing work has required us to hire new people,” Erikstrup confirms, adding, “It’s a challenge to develop the skill sets required as quickly as possible,” he says. Of the John Roberts internal pool of 250 hourly employees and 100 employees hired for work in administration, management, and sales, four people are now associated with the new machines and are currently in training and development mode. Keene confirms the company’s overarching market strategy, “We’ve been in business for 53 years to satisfy customers,” Keene says. “We’re a general commercial printer that’s expanding into the packaging field.”

As part of that growth process, John Roberts extended an invitation to its longstanding vendor, a nearby Minneapolis group known as DL Designs, to be a partnering designer for John Roberts’ own clients, temporarily bypassing the in-house design group concept. This invitation was accepted by DL Designs, whether that means creating high-end and intelligently executed packaging concepts for John Roberts’ customers who manufacture fishing line, computer software, or any number of other products. From initial ideas through printing and manufacturing, Keene points out, “We work to make the entire packaging design process a seamless experience for the customer.”

Package printing is expected to account for an increasing share of revenues at John Roberts. To capitalize on the demand, and to spread the news about the expanding package printing capabilities, Keene says: “We’ve taken the workshop on the road to customers’ businesses.” John Roberts and DL combine resources and energy to present customer workshops that demonstrate for customers how packaging can be used in their businesses, including a direct mail component.

To build interest in the workshops the companies also worked on advertising ideas. “We designed and sent out a ‘box’ camera to be used in a promotional photo-taking contest,” Erikstrup notes. “We actually created a flat, folded, and glued box that, when 'punching out' specific diecut elements and assembly were completed, turned into a functioning camera with a shutter and film inside it,” he elaborates.

Open and See What Develops

John Roberts Company had their tongue partly in cheek when they embarked on a recent direct mail campaign. When potential clients opened up a thin 11" x 6" cardboard mailer, they found black and green punch out pieces that, upon further inspection,were apparently all one needs to build a workable pin-hole camera. Artfully conceived, efficiently produced, and actually quite straightforward to construct, this promotion bragged that “John Roberts Provides You with the Tools You Need to Create.” With some careful creasing and folding, the right glue, and a little patience, this tool will indeed allow you to create.This memorable direct market idea was an unpretentious way to keep the company name in clients’ minds.

The iridescent gold and silver spirals on these packages produce a rainbow of colors as the angle of light changes.

“We invited our customers in to explain our desire to go further into the packaging arena,” Erikstrup says. As part of the demonstration, he adds, “DL brought all sorts of unique applications: music and educational CD carriers, computer software packaging, gift card packaging, boxes for sporting equipment—in particular, a racket ball glove box, and unique direct mail promotions,” he details.

“DL does an excellent job of presenting information,” Keene continues. “DL helps us to get a portion of work and we, in turn, give them some overflow, especially ‘kitting,’ which we regularly need,” he says of the customer service whereby DL assembles often disparate but related elements into a single customer informational “kit.”

Long before the upfront conversation between a customer, sales rep, planner, and estimator on the subject of what can be technically executed, John Roberts' sales reps are encouraged to bring innovative packaging concepts to the fore, sowing the seeds of ideas to cultivate printing work.

“Way up front in the process we ask sales reps to work closely with clients, to listen for opportunities to suggest package printing ideas,” Erikstrup says. “DL has been especially helpful in positioning us with our customers,” he adds. And as sure-footedness in the design realm becomes commonplace, more changes will follow. “Our next goal is to bring the design work in-house,” Erikstrup says of John Roberts unfolding vision.

Erikstrup agrees with Keene about the longevity of package printing as a strong source of ongoing revenue for John Roberts. “We’re aiming to be a one-stop shop,” he says, “to find solutions for all of our customers’ printing requirements. In the past our clients might go to someone else for packaging. Now we have a totally integrated process where we can execute package printing from conception to production and distribution. We’re increasing our activity in mailing and fulfillment services, too—expanding our entire portfolio of offerings.”