It would be entirely wrong to call Indianapolis a small city, but as we get closer to the city driving from Dayton, Ohio, the skyline is considerably smaller and less potent than many other American cities. We are sitting in the car with Chris Manley from Graphco, who has invited us to visit one of his customer's EZ Mailing.

By Editor Morten B. Reitoft

Jan Majnik and I were picked up around 9:30 AM in Dayton after a great day with Kodak, but today, a new day will bring us to a printing company specializing in political print campaigns and mailing. I always like visiting printing companies since they, after all, are the ones that utilize all the great equipment we see in the news and at tradeshows. Chris Manley is the President of the American company Graphco, and I first met him at PRINTING United - or at least that was what I remembered. I met him at the Think Smart Factory event in Kyoto before the Covid. Chris Manley is a friendly and experienced man in his early '60s. He got into the industry as Chris Manley's father, Bill Manley, established Graphco in 1976. Neither Manley himself nor his brother was thinking of taking over Graphco or being players in the industry. Still, as their father passed away way too early, Chris Manley took on the job as President. Graphco is a recognized and serious player in the North American market, representing RGMT and selling several other well-known brands.

I've never been to Indianapolis, and though my filmer and colleague Jan Majnik and I count visited US states to more than 25, Indianapolis and Indiana have not been visited before, we realize there is always a first for everything. As we pass through the suburbs of Indianapolis, we arrive at EZ Mailing.

The company isn't huge, and you never really know what to anticipate when visiting printing companies. Outside the building, owned by EZ Mailing's owner, Kevin Bennet, you'll see a ramp for pickups and deliveries; the windows are covered with print - by the way, the same print that goes through on the business cards, so now entering the site.

Inside you are met with several different signs with names and quotes of various politicians. If it weren't because Chris Manley already telling me that EZ Mailing has specialized in political print, you would almost feel like entering a campaign office in the middle of a hectic campaign. I don't know local or national American politics much, so I have no idea about the names I see. However, I realize that political campaigning in the US is very different from what I see in Europe. See, that is one of the things I like the most about traveling - you learn all the time!

In the meeting room, the local Graphco representative Gary Greis is already talking to the owner Kevin Bennet. At first, it fields like intruding on a private meeting, but we are expected, so we sit down at the large meeting table, and I explain how we expect to proceed with the filming.

When filming in a company, we have developed a few to-do's essential to make good films (we believe). First and foremost, creating a friendly and relaxed atmosphere is important. Secondly, and almost as important, we set the frame. Are employees informed about us being there, is anybody who has asked not to be on camera, and is there print on the shop floor we can't film? I also tell Kevin that he is the first person to see the film before anybody else. These things are important to us, as we want to be sure that everybody is comfortable with the stories we share.

Now it's time to see the printing company. As I get a guided tour through the facility, Jan Majnik has already set up the cameras, and the one with a gimbal is now ready to be used. The guided tour serves more purposes. I need to learn about the company to ask the right questions; Jan Majnik needs to find the best location for the interview - considering both light and noise-level. I also use the guided tour to get to know Kevin Bennet better and create the intimate atmosphere that is so important to me and what I believe INKISH is so good at showing.

EZ Mailing is a 26-people company. As Kevin Bennet explains, EZ Mailing has the same issues finding skilled labor as everybody else, so he strongly focuses on technology and automation. He trains current staff to handle the machines, so he is less dependent. After passing a large room where manual packaging work is dealt with, we enter the main shop floor, and the first thing that meets me is a new RMTG Series 9 LED UV-offset printer. I have, of course, seen the machines at tradeshows and with various printers worldwide, but it always surprises me how tiny these offset machines are. The four-color engine typically runs 13,000 sheets an hour on the floor, the pressman explains to me, but he continues that during peak times, he pushes the machine to 16,000 sheets an hour with no problems. When Kevin Bennet decided to buy the machine, he almost got involved with Graphco by accident. Bennet was looking for a secondhand machine or even some digital equipment, as he needed to have more hands-on with the offset work that, until then, was acquired through other printing companies. Gary Greis from Graphco has vast experience operating printing companies, so with his in-depth knowledge of the technology and his understanding of printing, economics, etc., Bennet soon partnered with Graphco and acquired the 9-series. Since then, Graphco has delivered a wealth of primarily Horizon technology to EZ Mailing. Later this year, a brand new 8-color LED UV machine will land in Indianapolis, supporting the continuing growth.

As mentioned earlier, EZ Mailing focuses on political printing, which means flyers, postcards, and stitched products, typically enveloped and mailed to whoever gets this campaigning material. EZ Mailing has in-house two-color overprint of envelopes, two guillotines for cutting the paper, inserters, three lines for inkjet addressing, and many folders creasers, all needed to manage everything in-house.

Kevin Bennet emphasizes the relationship with Graphco, and in the interview, you'll soon see on INKISH I ask how meaningful his relationship is with vendors - which is close and trustful. He seems to have the same approach to the people working in the company, and though everybody is busy, there is a friendly atmosphere that makes EZ Mailing a lovely company to visit.

What I liked the most about visiting EZ Mailing is that a small/medium-sized company has decided to prove the trends wrong when too many companies in the industry talk about decreasing markets. Bennet even talks about how he might have two 8-color machines within five years, and if that isn't a commitment to the future of print, I don't know what is.

Great being with EZ Mailing, and we look forward to showing you the film!