A paper converter that does not buy or sell paper? Is there really a niche for such a company? "Absolutely," answers Robert Srebalus, president of Midwest Converting, Inc. "We're a 'contract source' of sheeting and rewinding services for paper mills, merchants, brokers, printers and the fine-paper industry. Our sole direction is to supply our customers with a winning combination of operational environments," he says.

The Bedford Park, IL-based contract converter operates as an extension of its customers' businesses allowing them the benefits of having their own regional facility without the expense and responsibility of establishing a full converting operation.

"Our customer base takes advantage of our company to increase market share, lower production cost, and decrease lead-times to their customers," says Srebalus. "Our service is on a contract basis. This allows our customers the advantage of a variable overhead to control expenses. They buy our services only when they need them. When their business is slow, or they don't require the type of services we provide, they're not paying for the idle equipment, personnel, and warehouse space."

Midwest Converting's 256,000-sq-ft facility provides plenty of room for growth, spikes in business, and service options for customers. The centralized location near Chicago allows paper mills and merchants to reach markets outside their own geographical area.

Midwest doesn't just sheet or rewind paper stock, it creates successful partnerships. "We create partnerships for improving customers' company performance and the bottom line," says Srebalus. "For example, our partnership with Midwest Warehouse and Bedford Motor Service allows our customers to expand the range of their just-in-time coverage. When a merchant in South Carolina can promise same-day service in Chicago or Milwaukee, and deliver on that promise with a simple phone call, that builds a strong and lasting relationship between Midwest, our customer and their customer."

Midwest's line-up of converting machinery provides the maximum flexibility to meet all these requirements. "We can convert everything from lightweight paper up to 38-pt board stock," says Srebalus. "Our operation has extraordinary flexibility; we can handle 2-ton orders or 500-ton orders at any time."

The company's full complement of converting equipment includes three state-of-the-art, high-speed rewinders; two 76-in. wide sheeters; one precision 58-in. sheeter; and two 110-in. trimmers.

Recently, Midwest purchased a new 58-in. Bobst Group USA Apollo (Roseland, NJ) sheeter to offer customers the advantages of precision, high-speed sheeting. The installation also allows Midwest to reduce lead-times and waste, and lower the cost of the sheeting process, Srebalus says.

"We had a unique requirement for this sheeter," he continues. "We needed one sheeter with the capability to precision-sheet lightweight paper and board stock. It had to be versatile enough to run 15-lb paper and board up to 34-pt. It also needed to go out to 78 in. in length. Of all the machines we looked at, the Apollo was the only machine that could effectively sheet lightweight paper and meet our other requirements."

The installation of the Apollo sheeter expanded the operational solutions Midwest can offer its customers. "We use our resources to provide winning solutions that will improve customers' operations and their position in the marketplace," comments Srebalus.

The Apollo is reportedly the only precision, 78-in.-length sheeter in the midwestern US. "We purchased the Apollo based on the machine's excellent capabilities and attractive pricing," Srebalus adds. "The service and support that come along with it being a Bobst product is a bonus. Being a 'short lead time' company, we depend on fast service and support."

Just how important is fast service to Midwest? Many of its jobs require 24- to 48-hr turnaround. The Apollo sheeter has been running 20 hr/day, 6 days a week since installation. Says Srebalus, "Even though we have backup equipment, we can't afford to have an order waiting because the machine is down. The size of the Bobst service organization and the range of personnel they have in the field provide the quality support that we require."

Since it began operation in 1999, Midwest Converting has seen steady growth, and Srebalus sees the trend continuing. "We're continually exploring ways to provide added value to our customers' operations."