Near Miss

Responsive service from its supplier kept downtime to a minimum for M&M Printed Bag.

August 2009 by Chris Mc Loone

multipage

"Above all, plan for the unforeseen," read the beginning of a February 2008 packagePRINTING feature on offset printing. The subject of the article, Colonial Carton Company (now 3C Packaging, www.3cpackaging.com), had taken steps to ensure its customers would not see a disruption in service in the event of a catastrophe. The printer did have to put its plan into place when it almost lost its building and equipment to fire.

Although the circumstances were different, M&M Printed Bag (Chino, Calif.) recently encountered a unique challenge not seen by many in the package-printing marketplace. The printer took delivery of an 8-color, 53˝ flexographic Onyx press from Uteco (www.uteco.com), and upon unwrapping the shipping carton, discovered water flowing from the press's central impression (CI) section.

Niche player

M&M Printed Bag has been in business for 24 years and located in Chino since 1990. Its facility is home to three printing presses and nine bagging machines. All its business is wide web, with presses that go up to 61˝ wide. In its 24 years, the business has experienced steady growth, and according to Ernest Taylor, CEO, has not been adversely affected by the current economic environment. "Despite the economy we're in," he says, "we are not having difficulty in getting new customers." Customer retention has also been key to the company's growth.

M&M is a niche player, according to Taylor, not fighting the "big boys" if it can avoid it. "We find those areas where customers require quality and quick turnaround." And when Taylor says quick turnaround, he means it. "I mean that's where they call on a Monday and say they're going to be out of product by Friday, and we produce it and ship it to them so they've got product on their floor by Friday." It's been that way all along at M&M. "That's the way I built the business and that's why we've got customers who have been with us for over 20 years," he adds.

Of M&M's three presses, two are Uteco units and one is a CMF. Its customers include those in the towel and tissue industry, the bakery industry, and a limited number in agriculture.

It was the company's third Uteco press that posed a unique challenge for the niche printer.