Creating a Competitive Edge

Donnelly pointed out that Sun Coast Forms & Systems’ printing capabilities allow him to fulfill a niche below major manufacturers’ levels. “They aren’t interested in two-day delivery of a couple thousand payroll checks,” he said. A 40-year industry veteran, Donnelly left Moore Business Forms to establish his own company in 1979. “Customers were increasingly demanding tomorrow delivery and none of the factories would do it except for a gigantic cost,” he recalled. “So, I purchased a pack-to-pack press, a collator and a MICR encoder and hired someone to run jobs.”

Today, 4,000 sq. ft. of Sun Coast Forms & Systems' 20,000 sq. ft. facility accommodate three Ryobi presses (one with a thermotype thermography attachment); a Toko two-color T-head; an Omni 171⁄2 ", 221⁄2" two-color perfecter and a two-color jet envelope press, as well as a full bindery operation, perfing equipment, a numbering machine, two MICR encoders and a booklet maker. Four press operators and three bindery workers run the jobs, which include checks, continuous and laser forms, laser perfs, continuous pack-to-pack labels and envelopes. Donnelly estimated that his production capabilities generate 12 percent of sales.

“Obviously, we can’t do everything, and running pack-to-pack continuous is not as cost effective as a full-service manufacturer feeding rolls,” he said. “Our niche is short-run, quick turnaround which works to enhance my volume with large manufacturers. If someone orders 100,000 payroll checks on Wednesday and needs delivery by Friday, I’m able to deliver at least 5,000 or 10,000, while the big boys handle the rest.”

Like Donnelly, the Magagna brothers mainly established production capabilities to help customers looking for next-day delivery out of a jam, and save them a few hundred dollars in rush charges. During the golden age of forms in the early 80s when the company was first established, it was common to get an order for 100,000 three-part NCR unit sets, requiring a 2,000 piece next-day partial delivery. The Magagna brothers had two Ryobi 11x17" two-up presses, as well as a four-up AB Dick offset press duplicator. “We were the guys who could save the day and hold customers over while the large run was being produced,” recalled John.”