Why Reliable Partners Serve as Critical Support in Changing Business Models
Grafika Printing Inc. is a third-generation family-owned company. Started by Bernie Elzer Sr. in 1963, Grafika has been at the forefront of innovation in print – from pioneering UV screen printing and multi-media print to early adoption of recycling. In 2000, Grafika made the strategic decision to focus on consumer packaging as a core competency, which put them at the start of computer to plate (CTP) technology, color management, and UL label supply.
So, it came as no surprise when Bernie Elzer III, President and CEO of Grafika, grandson of the founder, had the foresight to invest heavily in process and state of the art printing technology when he purchased the company from his father in 2011. In 2014, Grafika re-entered the commercial print market with the acquisition of Offset Impressions, a leading commercial printer since 1976.
Offset Impressions was a commercial printer that performed its own folding, die cutting, and stitching. But when Grafika decided to once again shift its business model to focus on packaging instead of commercial print, they sold their finishing equipment and searched for reliable partners to handle the work, as well as any packaging overflow.
“Grafika anticipates trends and builds on innovation in order to meet the future needs of customers,” said Kevin Schannauer, Finishing Manager for Grafika Printing. “There is a big trust factor when partnering with vendors because it is our priority to maintain the product, quality, and continuous improvement management we are known for.”
Phillips Graphic Finishing (PGF) is a long-time partner of Grafika, dating back to the Offset Impressions days before it was acquired. Schannauer worked for Offset for 20 years prior to joining Grafika and had many positive experiences with PGF.
“We brought the relationship with us from Offset because Phillips is very high in quality,” said Schannauer. “We get trust and dependability from PGF. Once we send a project to them, we have confidence they are going to complete it in a way that represent us. It needs to be seamless because they are an extension of us.”
Grafika works with other vendors and partners, but PGF’s convenient location 40 minutes away makes pre-run checks easy and keeps communication clear. Customer service, estimating, and scheduling are also important factors to Grafika when it comes to gauging vendor relationships, which also take precedence for PGF.
“Bill Kelly, the Phillips production manager, is very strong – he is professional, on top of things, and when a project is in his hands, I am not concerned,” said Schannauer. “Their price is never the lowest, but sometimes that does not matter because we trust them to know what good quality work is. We can always depend on them to hit a scheduled delivery date on a quick turn.”
Grafika’s customer base is primarily in the food and medical industries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, not only did Grafika stay open as an essential business, but sales increase by 20%. As Grafika continues to innovate, grow, and flex with changing customer needs, trusted vendor relationships like the one they have with PGF will help them remain successful.