In March, at its global headquarters in St. Louis, MO, USA, Mark Andy Inc. hosted more than 200 visitors to the company’s 2014 Open House. The primary objective of the event was to provide an educational experience for converters, supporting the company’s mission to “be the total solutions partner and supplier of choice offering high quality, innovative solutions that drive customer profitability.”

Headlining the event was the live debut of the Mark Andy Digital Series, which is being touted as the first truly integrated hybrid inkjet printing platform. “Designed with Business Responsive Technology, Digital Series is the first true production level digital solution — combining highly configurable in-line converting and processing with high-quality digital printing at production-level speeds,” the company says. “The result is a system architecture that delivers the best total cost of operation of any digital solution available on the market today.”

During the three day event, attendees were treated to converter-focused educational forums, the highlight being a lively and interactive panel discussion titled, “Flexo and Digital – What’s the right mix?” Three different converter-filled panels over the three days provided very candid accounts of individual experiences and business models around implementation of both flexo and digital technologies. These sessions provided insight and education for anyone considering how both technologies fit into today’s printing operations.

Daily live demonstrations covered the optimization of end-to-end flexo workflows, encompassing a broader look at the entire press room operation. Rotoflex finishing equipment, Mark Andy Print Products as well as Mark Andy University delivered a look at how converters can renovate their operations from every angle. In addition, attendees were treated to a tour of Mark Andy’s manufacturing facility.

“The Mark Andy Open House week was a tremendous success. It was exciting to welcome so many interested visitors and to showcase the ‘new’ Mark Andy as a Total Solutions Partner,” says Kevin Wilken, president and CEO, Mark Andy Inc. “We had good, informative sessions to help converters grow their business and understand technology. And the live demos allowed visitors to understand the various product lines and services, and how they might apply to their own workflows and business practices. What an exciting time to be at Mark Andy.”