For the specialty display people—the average order about 1,500 pieces maximum, this technology fits like a glove." Greg Hauber, managing director of Menasha Display Group, is talking about the success his company has achieved with its adoption of digital inkjet printing.

The Mequon, WI-based division of Menasha Packaging Co. LLC runs twin CORJete flatbed printers to turn out colorful—and often complicated—point-of-purchase displays and mini-flute boxes. Its rapidly growing list of customers for the JIT, short-run jobs include all manner of consumer-packaged-goods companies.

"We floor people with what we can do time-wise versus what traditionally happens," Hauber says. "If you look five years ahead, with digital speeds coming up and quantities in the industry going down, this is a natural fit."

Digital printing wasn't always in Menasha Display's plans, but a tradeshow visit changed things. "We first saw the printer at DRUPA 2000," Hauber recalls. "By the end of January 2001, we made the commitment to jump in as a beta site."

Tests were conducted on a range of corrugated, foam core and SBS-board materials, as well as pre-coatings to allow the substrates to accept the CORjet printer's inks. "The testing was very successful. We had great results with B, C and E flute."

Simultaneously, Menasha Display carried out extensive research into the market for digital printing. Shorter and shorter runs were obvious five years earlier, but there was no economical way to answer that need for customers.

"There was also the speed-to-market idea," explains Deb Runte, director of retail research. "When you've got a competitive threat in the retail environment, for example, you've got to be able to respond quickly." Traditional technologies don't offer the rapid turnaround time of digital to put new displays or packaging into stores quickly, she says.

Menasha Display broke new commercial ground when its digital-printing operation officially began in August 2001. The first of two BEL2000 printers (now renamed CORjet) was installed in Mequon that summer. Originally developed by Israeli-based Aprion Digital, the equipment is represented in the US by Belcom North America Group LLC. The second unit went into production at Menasha in August 2002.

As with every startup technology, a few bugs needed to be worked out. Reliability was a weakness in the first beta-test machine, as well as repeatability. Hauber attributes the problems primarily to Aprion Digital's experience more with fine paper substrates rather than corrugated.

"They intended the machine for the packaging market," he says, "but didn't understand it. Now, the printers hum. The reliability is there, and we have virtually no issues with them."

To sell its breakthrough printing to skeptical customers used to older, poorer-quality digital, Menasha Display employes a series of onsite technology seminars or tradeshows at client locations. Colorful, personalized displays are created in advance to showcase the new, high quality of the digital work.

"It's fun," Hauber says. "You walk into a big room with 100-some people looking a bit skeptical, and as the presentation goes on, you see them light up with rapt attention."

Adds digital product manager Scot Tennyck, "We've had people try to pull the litho label off of some of the things we've printed digitally, but there isn't one. Literally, they don't believe it's digital."

They don't believe the speed of production, either. When a potential customer makes a visit to Mequon, the staff will sometimes take a digital picture of the client and present them with a life-size standee display, printed while they take a tour.

The converter has had more success in selling promotional displays and in-store merchandising pieces so far than digitally printed retail boxes, although there have been some success stories. Many customers use the technology to create retailer-specific displays to market the same product, Tennyck explains. Simply changing the store logo from Wal-Mart to Kroger on the display is much less expensive in a digital run of 500 versus traditional print methods, he says.

Menasha Display's close-knit team of 25 employees in the Mequon facility focuses on digital printing but also serves the group's other three plants across the country—as well as Menasha Packaging when called upon. Full structural and graphic-design services are offered through a staff of 12, which includes one permanent model maker.

"When the display group was started, it was a little bit experimental on the people-side," Hauber says. "We were all salaried, no hourly. So by doing that, everybody here is cross-trained. Everybody is cross-functional."

Digital production is headed by Darrell L. Truitt; Jerry Cler is the CORjets' primary operator. A total staff of five can run the printers and diecutting/finishing operation, which includes a Lasercomb DFS 2000 digital diecutter.

With two years of commercial business under its belt, where does Menasha Display see its digital technology headed? "On the promotional side of packaging, we really see it replacing traditional manufacturing," Hauber predicts. "As the speed picks up, it's going to let us compete with larger traditional runs at a more cost-effective method. We're very competitive now at an average run of 500 sheets and under."

Runte again credits Menasha Displays' beta-test process with giving it a competitive edge in the market as an innovator. "We've been continually able to notch-up the quality and the capabilities of the equipment," she says. "We'll continue to be ahead of the curve. Sometimes being first to market has its advantages."