Cover Story?UV Flexo Printing is Opening Doors to Success
January 2004
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A 10-color press with UV capability has provided QC Packaging Systems with the tools it needs for high-quality work.
by Tom Polischuk
Growing pains! That's a problem most companies would just love to have right now. For QC Corporation, it's a good hurt.
QC Corporation is a major North American manufacturer of bulk and consumer entertainment media products for brands such as Memorex, Fuji, Maxell, Sony, JVC, Kodak, and Radio Shack. The company has experienced a high growth cycle over the past three years due to the explosion of demand for optical media, such as CD/CDRs, DVDs, and DVD-Rs.
This business growth came at a time when QC's customers were demanding shorter and shorter lead times, while the lead times for its paperboard packaging supplies were lengthening. The company found itself stockpiling printing and packaging products, sometimes as much as six months worth.
In a business environment driven by such concepts as lean manufacturing, six sigma, just-in-time, and supply-chain management, QC's owner, Bill Blyth, knew that increased work-in-process and finished-goods inventories were not viable long-term solutions. In the company's continual efforts to find innovative solutions to support its growth and manage its supply chain, Blyth decided to establish a package printing operation that would support the needed supply-chain optimization efforts.
Since it was clear that this new operation would need to generate more business than just the internal needs of QC Corp., Blyth decided to establish a completely independent company—one that could flourish and grow in the open market in its own right. He partnered with industry veterans Bill McKnight (managing partner), Hugh Cleveland (director of operations), and David Franze (director of manufacturing) to create a lean, state-of-the-art company called QC Packaging Systems, Inc. (QCP), located in Mississauga, Ontario.
With extensive experience in the folding carton and printing industries and an entrepreneurial spirit, McKnight, Cleveland, and Franze envisioned a high-quality, lean manufacturing operation with leading-edge equipment that could offer value-added options to its customers. The business model was centered on fast turnaround and low overhead, with resulting lower costs for its customers.
Starting from scratch
One of the benefits of opening a brand new facility is that it is not encumbered by many of the constraints faced by existing operations. QCP took full advantage of this opportunity and the result was a very successful startup.
The company began by gutting a 50,000-square-foot building and incorporating an equipment layout that was designed to minimize material flow and provide an open view of the entire shop floor. Air conditioning was also installed to provide a controlled work environment for personnel and materials.
by Tom Polischuk
Growing pains! That's a problem most companies would just love to have right now. For QC Corporation, it's a good hurt.
QC Corporation is a major North American manufacturer of bulk and consumer entertainment media products for brands such as Memorex, Fuji, Maxell, Sony, JVC, Kodak, and Radio Shack. The company has experienced a high growth cycle over the past three years due to the explosion of demand for optical media, such as CD/CDRs, DVDs, and DVD-Rs.
This business growth came at a time when QC's customers were demanding shorter and shorter lead times, while the lead times for its paperboard packaging supplies were lengthening. The company found itself stockpiling printing and packaging products, sometimes as much as six months worth.
In a business environment driven by such concepts as lean manufacturing, six sigma, just-in-time, and supply-chain management, QC's owner, Bill Blyth, knew that increased work-in-process and finished-goods inventories were not viable long-term solutions. In the company's continual efforts to find innovative solutions to support its growth and manage its supply chain, Blyth decided to establish a package printing operation that would support the needed supply-chain optimization efforts.
Since it was clear that this new operation would need to generate more business than just the internal needs of QC Corp., Blyth decided to establish a completely independent company—one that could flourish and grow in the open market in its own right. He partnered with industry veterans Bill McKnight (managing partner), Hugh Cleveland (director of operations), and David Franze (director of manufacturing) to create a lean, state-of-the-art company called QC Packaging Systems, Inc. (QCP), located in Mississauga, Ontario.
With extensive experience in the folding carton and printing industries and an entrepreneurial spirit, McKnight, Cleveland, and Franze envisioned a high-quality, lean manufacturing operation with leading-edge equipment that could offer value-added options to its customers. The business model was centered on fast turnaround and low overhead, with resulting lower costs for its customers.
Starting from scratch
One of the benefits of opening a brand new facility is that it is not encumbered by many of the constraints faced by existing operations. QCP took full advantage of this opportunity and the result was a very successful startup.
The company began by gutting a 50,000-square-foot building and incorporating an equipment layout that was designed to minimize material flow and provide an open view of the entire shop floor. Air conditioning was also installed to provide a controlled work environment for personnel and materials.
Companies Mentioned:
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