Increase Value with Integrated Products

More uses are awaiting discovery in a boundless market.

Integrated products are attaining unique capabilities in traditional business forms and labels markets, as well as in promotional printing. The products' inherent advantages of consistency, versatility and economy often make them the better choice over more traditional labels and cards. As business practices change and new markets emerge, investing in this product is becoming all the more worthwhile.

One of the reasons is that printing integrated products eliminates the use of additional processes, therefore reducing printing time and cost—attractive characteristic for clients. "Distributors can spend $1.25 apiece for a plastic card or they can produce an integrated card at half that price, depending on what is printed on the form and the paper weight used," said Robert Nost, general manager of Highland Computer Forms, Urbandale, Iowa.

According to Dave Wandling, vice president of marketing at The Flesh Company, Parsons, Kan., "There are only a handful—probably 20 or fewer—manufacturers producing integrated products." This reduced printing time and cost, coupled with the ratio of high demand to a few suppliers, translates into big profits for both manufacturers and distributors.

Not only are these products valuable, they are value-added as well. "It is not the type of product that is just a commodity, but the opportunity for distributors to create solutions for their customers that will benefit and outweigh any type of additional costs that the product may incur. Rather than bidding on a product, the distributor can go in and create a solution for customers, which has ten times more value," said Paul Curry, president of PrintGraphics, Vandalia, Ohio.

While integrated products offer many advantages, there are certain shortcomings and precautions that both manufacturers and distributors need to be mindful of, including the possible deterioration of label adhesives over the duration of the product's life. Nost noted, however, that this is also true of most other types of labels.