Even though Cole founded a baseball team in the southeastern United States, he worked diligently to separate his business from those of his competitors. This mantra of “finding a new way of doing business” was on display throughout Dscoop Edge Rockies, which took place March 6-8, 2022 in Denver, CO, USA.

Cole touched on themes that were present throughout this HP User Group event. Overcoming sticking points, making a lasting impression and constantly experimenting were among Cole’s talking points that resonated throughout the training sessions and presentation of solutions.

As digital printing continues to emerge as a key industry trend, experts have detailed how companies can successfully implement this technology into their own business volume. Jesse Freitas of StickerGiant and Dustin Steerman of CMYK. explored this very topic in the insightful session, “Designing Your Digital Printing Business for Sustainable Hypergrowth.”

When entering digital printing, Steerman said printers should ask themselves, “Are you investing in a digital asset to serve current customers or future customers?

StickerGiant, for example, was established in 2000 and has pivoted significantly three times since its inception. “We knew one thing: we wanted to be fast,” explained Freitas. “We were printing in one day and shipping. But we also knew early on that we had to have fun and magical moments in our trip. We always strive for ‘Fun, fast, friendly’, which is our brand mantra. »

Both Steerman and Freitas emphasized the need for a strong culture when changing companies or adding new capabilities to the business.

“I got into digital printing because it’s appealing to people who want to build,” Steerman noted. “We are building the future every day. You should also coach your performance with your team. In a high-growth or hyper-growth company, you need to make sure everyone is aligned. If you need to part ways with someone who isn’t on board, do so.

“Culture is everything for a company, especially in a fast-growing company,” Freitas said. “A lot of what you do as a company is teaching values ​​and vision. Culture is not what’s in your break room but who’s in your break room. 26th hire is as important as 145th, so how do you keep growing and adapting, because the only constant in this world is change – so is your culture.

For StickerGiant, it is essential to be transparent and authentic. A group should have concrete goals and an energized team, but individuality and creativity should also be encouraged. “It’s really cool to witness when you see the culture done right,” Freitas added.

Steerman, who has been instrumental in the success of ePac, and Freitas, whose company relies on HP Indigo digital presses to fulfill its short-term orders, noted that technology is more important than ever, especially given the magnitude of the challenges facing businesses today. When you invest in new technologies, it is essential to invest in new software and new ways of dealing with works of art, while remaining on the lookout for challenges.

One of those challenges will be sustainability, and Steerman thinks digital is the perfect answer to that question. “The market is going in this direction and we need to have a sustainability strategy,” he said. “We also see this demand from all sides. The big CPGs do it and we see it with the supply chain. Digital has proven to be a more sustainable process. The market is going to measure it, and you have to start building based on where the market is going.

“We are small business oriented, so the market is asking for sustainable product offerings,” Freitas said. “A lot of education still needs to be done. People know what they want until they don’t like the answer, like the durability of a material. We have to keep educating and focusing on that. what you can do with plants, energy usage, shipping and more None of us will be 100% perfect, but being transparent and telling people what you’ve done is the best thing you can do. you can do.

But at the end of the day, people will always be the most important part of a printing business. “You can have the best assets in the world, but if you don’t have the people to manage them, then the assets are meaningless,” Freitas commented.

Along with adding digital printing to label and packaging printing facilities, companies continue to invest in automation. The pandemic has accelerated the need for automation. Automation can deliver value-added applications, less waste, and more productivity with a reduced workforce. In addition, automation reduces the number of manual contacts between receiving an order and transmitting it to the press.

It is essential to find a problem before it fails, because automation allows a company to predict what will happen and identify more efficient processes, such as G7 certification, for example. Dscoop Edge Rockies promoted collaboration on the automation journey.

From baseball to label printing, Dscoop provided the platform to plan for the future. “The future of business is not about how many customers you have, it’s about how many fans you have,” Cole exclaimed. “It’s about creating an unforgettable experience. It’s the moments that matter. »