Expand Vol. 1 No. 10

Rainier's Range

Rainier Industries is making waves in the wide-format printing market with a focus on quality, and an aggressive business plan.

An article in last year's Seattle Post-Intelligencer referred to Rainier Industries as a "little-known company". In relation to Microsoft, one might make that characterization.

However, in the markets in which Rainier operates, it is a very well-known company. The company's roots are in tents, yurts, and industrial fabrics, but it's rapidly branching out into other markets. (In case you're wondering what a yurt is, it's a cross between a cabin and a tent.)

Founded in 1896 as Puget Sound Tent & Awning, Rainier has taken its expertise and successfully translated it into a growing portfolio of products. Increasingly, Rainier's excellence has been found beyond industrial fabric structures and in the graphics market.

Displays of Quality

About four years ago, Rainier purchased the manufacturing operations of Display Products. Ray Smith, the production manager of Rainier's graphics division, came on board with Display Products. He says that since the acquisition the graphics division has been booming.

"When we merged with Rainier we had one VUTEk 3360; now we have three, plus a VUTEk PressVu 180 flatbed UV-curable printer," says Smith. "At SGIA we picked up VUTEk's latest flatbed, the QS2000. We also have two HP 5000s and two HP 5500s."

Smith says that wall coverings are the fastest growing segment of Rainier's graphics division, which is also the company's fastest growing division. Smith attributes the growth to the company's commitment to the wide-format inkjet industry, and to its focus on quality.

"Our processes are quality-controlled throughout the manufacturing process. The print is checked for quality before, during and after it's printed," says Smith. "A lot of it has to do with our hands-on design team. When they send a project to the printer they don't let it go; they stick with it. Additionally, everybody on the floor is quality-oriented; we talk about our projects constantly, and the importance of each one, and each step within the process."

To that end, Rainier has implemented a thorough color management and profiling system, from monitor, to printer, to materials. This is especially important since some projects require multiple printing platforms. Smith explains that a wall mural project Rainier completed for one of its retailer customers utilized prints off the VUTEk 3360 and its HPs. In this case, the art started on the HPs. Then, the VUTEk was calibrated to the HP. The wallpaper is typically printed on the VUTEk, while the framed art-type pieces are printed on the HPs with LexJet 8 Mil ImagePro Gloss.

"We make sure to keep and track all of our initial colors, print them, and check them every time we run them. We have proofs of everything we run, and we check everything coming off the press to the proofs, and then go through and check them again after they've been printed," says Smith. If that means running over to the finishing department while it's being finished, so be it. Nothing leaves if there's a blemish, a misprint, or a mismatched color.

Rainier does everything in-house, including nationwide installation. Rainier's other divisions definitely come in handy, as they can do all of the finishing needed, and do it with an extra flair and competence given their work with industrial fabrics. Rainier's local work is mostly high-profile; the Mariners, Seahawks and Sonics regularly receive a dose of Rainier's digital excellence.

Rainier does a wide range of work, from one-off backlits to super-sized building murals. Ironically, Rainier doesn't do a lot of fabric printing, though the company plans to add more capabilities in the near future. The flatbed printers have allowed Rainier to print some unique projects, such as ceiling tiles for a hospital, portable walls, and soundproofing material.

"The ceiling was challenging from the standpoint that our designers had to take into consideration the spacers that separate each of the tiles and create a scene that runs consistently across the entire ceiling," says Smith.

Smith says the company's success, and ability to handle its explosive growth is due primarily to its stress on communication.

"We meet every morning to discuss the work coming up — exactly what it involves and who it involves. Everybody has a heads-up on what's coming, what to expect, and what the job entails," says Smith.