Creating quality signage for more than 360 Stewart’s Shops locations spanning New York State and Western Vermont was no small task for Print Shop Manager Sara Seamans.
“Prior to digital printing, we had a two-color offset printer that had worked well for a very long time, but we had reached the point where some of our farther west shops had different needs than our northern shops. They’re also going to have different needs from our shops down south,” Sara explained.
With just two-color offset printing, capabilities were limited which forced the chain to have a one-size-fits-all approach to signing all stores, despite their varying needs.
Transitioning from an Outdated Print Model to Improve Quality & Efficiency
“Stewart’s originally—like most organizations and larger businesses—was running off a print press model, which is a little antiquated and out of date at this time,” explained Bryan McLellan, Usherwood’s director of sales in the Albany region. “We helped them move over to digital press, which is less of a digital footprint with a cost reduction involved in that.”
This new solution streamlined and improved efficiency, allowing the retailer to have quicker response times and higher-quality graphics and print jobs from their machines.
“It also offers a bunch of other bells and whistles that expand their portfolio in-house,” Bryan said.
Simplifying Operations & Expanding Capabilities
The new print model allowed Stewart’s Shops to simplify processes for stores. The new capabilities enabled things like price stickers with barcodes and offering four-color graphics that were not previously available.
In this way, not only could the retailer update the look of graphics, they could streamline selling and item pricing to make store management easier.
Timely, Helpful Print Service to Keep Pace with Quick Turnaround Needs
When issues arise with devices, Stewart’s needs quick response times from service technicians and IT service reps to get back up and running. With Usherwood’s local technicians and headquarters only 20 minutes away in Albany, NY, they are able to get the troubleshooting support they need quickly.
“If anything happens to these machines, they need quick response times,” Bryan explained about the unique needs of such a large operation.
“These machines need to be operational, they need to be up and running, and they need to have support so things can get out effectively and quickly. That’s where we come in to allow them to do what they do best,” Bryan said.
A Local Provider Offering Nearby, Personalized Support
Sara wanted a local service close by to help with machines. She explained her frequent relief at the quick and helpful service she gets from Mark Brower, a Senior Service Technician at Usherwood based in Albany.
“They’re amazing to deal with, honestly. Mark, my service tech, is the one who visits here most often,” Sara said. “I’m never down more than a day. Mark is so good about getting here, answering any questions I have, and making sure the amount of time that I am down is limited.”
How to Find Local Support to Enhance Your In-House Print Operations
Retailers like Stewart’s are not alone in needing efficient and cost-effective print solutions for large operations. With the growing number of features production printers offer, the amount of things that could go wrong also increases.
If you are like Sara and you need quality local print services with speedy response times for your business, click the button below to speak to an experienced print expert.
