LAKE GRAPHICS LABEL & SIGN CO.
15400 Industrial Parkway, Cleveland, OH 44135 USA
www.graphicsandlabels.com


Local businesses in Cleveland, OH have benefited from the area’s resurgence, and Lake Graphics Label & Sign Co. is no exception. Founded in 2010 by Mark Tangry, this digital-printing company has experienced substantial growth that necessitated a move to a 16,000 square foot facility in 2012. Located west of the Cleveland airport, Lake Graphics’ location provides easy access to every major highway, a loading dock and a space well suited for digital print production.

Tangry entered the label printing business with a background in pressure sensitive materials and BOPP film manufacturing. He had previously spent most of his career in sales and marketing, or general management roles.

The company originated as a vehicle for wide format digital printing of signage, vehicle wraps, banners, among others. From there, Lake Graphics quickly evolved from a retail operation into a supplier to the trade, where the focus shifted to sign shops, print brokers, distributors, and Internet-based sellers. This move led to the acquisition of more equipment, rendering the original 1,600 square foot space incapable of handling current demand. “Once we moved here at the end of 2012, we quickly decided to invest in label printing equipment since it was really my background, and we didn’t have the space to do it previously,” says Tangry. “At that point, we were just a two man operation. I brought in my partner, Rob Merwarth, who has been managing the day-to-day production of the label side of our business. My focus has been general management and the day-to-day wide format operations.”

In addition to Tangry and Merwath, the company features an eight-person operations team. “We are very fortunate that our company growth, combined with the resurgence of the Cleveland metro area, has made us an attractive employer,” says Tangry. “We have a great team that works well together. We add new people one at a time, and fit is critical as we are largely a self-directed team.”

Lake Graphics prides itself in its ability to handle a vast array of applications, from durable to security labels. Its focus on digital printing makes the company a major player for short runs featuring customization and variable data. “When deciding to start a label business, digital printing was the obvious choice for us,” explains Tangry. “There are plenty of label printers in the country that do an excellent job of conventional flexographic printing and we felt that the learning curve would be significant, and opportunity for differentiation minimal, so we decided to become an all-digital operation.”

Xeikon has played a pivotal role in getting Lake Graphics off the ground. The company utilizes two Xeikon 3030 digital label presses, as well as a GM finishing line with inline UV coating and diecutting. To go along with its GM sheeter and rewinding and inspection equipment, Lake Graphics offers an EFI Vutek 3.2 meter hybrid printer with roll-to-roll and flat sheet capability for the wide format side of its business. The company also maintains a Zund cutting table and an HP FB700 98″  flatbed and LX850 3.2 meter latex roll printer.

According to Tangry, Xeikon looked past the fact that Lake Graphics, a relatively new company at the time, was largely a start-up operation. Instead, the digital printing specialist focused on how it could help Lake Graphics. “This set them apart from every other manufacturer we met with,” says Tangry. “Our people have been trained on maintaining the press themselves and that allows us minimal disruption to our business. Xeikon continues to show an interest in our business and how we can grow new applications and move into different markets. The partnership with them has been tremendous.”

In order to manage the challenges associated with conventional printing, Lake Graphics provides excellent quality and quick turnaround times to all the converters, distributors, and brokers and agents with whom the company conducts business. “Our goal is to have our customers feel like we are an extension of their own facility bringing a capability and offering that they don’t have internally,” adds Tangry. “We currently have a more regional focus to our business, although we ship for our clients all over the United States and Canada.”

Lake Graphics’ current strategy involves remaining current with the times. The company is looking to capitalize on Internet marketing and further developing its own website. This will allow Lake Graphics to provide customers with a clear mission statement and plans for the future, which includes building a national base.

Xeikon will contribute to Lake Graphics’ growth. Tangry explains that Xeikon has established a like-minded vision, and its ability to replicate conventional printing on a digital platform will help the company in the future. “We didn’t feel like inkjet had come far enough yet, although it has made tremendous strides since that time,” he says. “The EP, or electrophotographic process was still, in our opinion, the superior print platform, and Xeikon had several advantages over their competition. First, it was a continuous web process with no frame sizes to be concerned about. Second, we can print on almost any substrate without concern for special materials or topcoats. That allows us to be very competitive on price and offer a wide variety of solutions to our customers. Third, the Xeikon toner technology had evolved to the point where we were able to run all but the most heat sensitive substrates through the press. The one-pass white is superior to many other presses on the market, and the toner density and adhesion allow us to compete very favorably in demanding durable applications requiring superior lightfastness and toner adhesion.” –Greg Hrinya