PUBLICATION CENTER

ImageNation was one of the first companies in Sioux Falls, S.D. to offer large-format printing. Owner Randy Stewart jokes that he was more interested in the Ferrari coming off the printer he saw at a Comdex show he attended, but ended up buying the printer and starting a small business in Sioux Falls.

Since that time, the company has grown steadily and now ships graphics to far-flung reaches of the world, including Europe and South America. Though ImageNation is essentially a regional company, a good portion of the client base it has developed has international reach. It’s a loyal client base that returns to ImageNation time and again for its branding and advertising needs.

“Over time we have focused on maintaining quality, doing what we say we’re going to do when we say we’re going to do it, and if we screw it up we fix it right away. Ultimately, quality control means having responsible employees you trust who have the same attitude and philosophy about customer service and translate that to their work,” says Stewart.

Stewart says that most of ImageNation’s work is business-to-business, emphasizing manufacturers over retailers.

“Our business tends to lean more toward those who produce products and services than those who retail them,” he says.

The diversity of ImageNation’s offerings has also been instrumental in the company’s success. Having started with one wide-format printer some ten years ago, ImageNation now runs a battery of solvent, aqueous, and UV-curable flatbed printers, as well as automated finishing equipment like its Zund router.

ImageNation also has a small-format division with a Presstek DI Press, an HP Indigo for variable data printing, and bindery and finishing equipment. The small-format division prints everything from business cards to magazines, and can provide ImageNation customers with short and medium runs of high-quality collateral materials to variable-data on-demand production printing.

Still, ImageNation is mainly a large-format print shop with the ability to be a one-stop shop for its clients. Stewart says the small-format side of the business has seen the effects of the recent economic downturn more than the large-format division.

“There are basically two reactions companies have to economic downturns: one is to promote more and one is to promote less. The survivors are those who work harder at getting business, not those who sit on their thumbs. So we will find companies who understand that they need to be more aggressive and more visible to prospective end users of their products, which requires more and better marketing materials,” says Stewart. “We never try to be the cheapest. When we meet with a prospective client we come right out and tell them that if their goal is to get the cheapest printing, we shouldn’t waste each other’s time. But, if they want a product created by professionals for professionals that will promote their brand we can do that with a fair price for an excellent product that will be delivered on time.”

Production Cues

Over the past few years, an already diverse company has diversified even more, particularly with the arrival of production manager Troy Fox, who came to ImageNation from ArtFac Graphics in Omaha.

With the ability to print through solvent, aqueous, and UV-curable ink sets, ImageNation produces almost every imaginable type of large-format product, including vehicle wraps and wall murals with dreamScape wallcoverings from LexJet.

“The larger, more custom work, especially with vehicle wraps and wallpaper, has really changed our business. There’s just so much you can do now, and we’ve found that people want to go simple with their message, but as big and bold as possible. I love it,” says Fox.

Though Omaha has a larger population than the entire state of South Dakota, Fox says people in Sioux Falls are very open-minded about trying different approaches to their graphics projects, so selling specialty graphics like wallpaper has been relatively easy. Plus, specialty graphics offer the client a unique look that’s not typically found elsewhere.

Fox says that vehicle wraps are becoming more common at ImageNation as well. The state of South Dakota has commissioned ImageNation to wrap multiple semis this year to help promote the state and boost tourism.

ImageNation also reproduces photography and fine art on its Epson 9600 printer. “We work with photography studios, and LexJet’s Sunset eSatin printed on the Epson is hands-down the best combination. There are no banding issues, the colors really pop, and the eSatin photo paper is extremely durable. We also use eSatin for any poster print because of its durability and quality. It’s outstanding,” says Fox.

Fox says that the key to the company’s success, particularly in production, is the well-seasoned staff. “Our staff has quite a bit of experience in the field, averaging about 10-15 years,” says Fox. “Several of them have been here since the early days of the company, so everyone has done just about everything. They’re great in their respective specialties, but they can contribute in any of the other departments, which is very helpful when we have a rush project or need additional help anywhere in the company.”