Arthur Blank

Arthur Blank & Co., Boston, recently introduced the Talking Gift Card that records personalized messages. The product contains a recordable voice chip mounted to the company's patented RAC Card. Powered exclusively by Voice-Express, Arthur Blank & Co. will showcase the product during this year's Marketechnics Show, held Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 in San Diego (Booth #1028). For more information, call (800) 776-7333 or visit www.arthurblank.com.

Boston-based Arthur Blank & Co. and Barry Fiala, Inc., Memphis, Tenn., recently announced a settlement of litigation regarding Fiala's U.S. patent #5,918,909. In the settlement, Arthur Blank acknowledges that the Fiala patent is valid and enforcable and that it applies to the Arthur Blank RAC CARD. Arthur Blank will be a liscensee of the Fiala patent and will manufacture and market the RAC CARD products under the license. As part of the settlement, Fiala and its licensees will be able to manufacture and market products under the Arthur Blank & Co. RAC CARD U.S. patent #6,588,658. For more information, call Arthur Blank at (800) 776-7333 or

Arthur Blank, Boston, and Infineon Technologies North America Corporation, Munich, Germany, recently announced a cooperative effort to provide radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled card services to the retail, transportation and security industries. Under the agreement, Infineon Technologies will supply its ISO 14443 and ISO 15693 packaged RFID chips that will integrate with Arthur Blank's card production process. The entire range of advanced production processes, including high-quality, six-color presses, high-speed laminators and punch presses are available for any size RFID card order. "RFID technology opens the door to advanced customer loyalty programs, integrated point of service operations, and improved supply chain performance and

Last year, Boston-based Arthur Blank & Co. reported a significant increase in both employment and plant expansion. The company also reported a 15 percent increase in demand for plastic card manufacturing, putting the facility on an around-the-clock schedule for more than half the year. As a result of heightened sales, Arthur Blank increased its staff by more than 30 percent and expanded its manufacturing facility to 80,000 square feet--remaining the largest single plastic card production facility in North America. As part of the expansion, a short-run department was also added. "The gift, loyalty and membership industries continue to grow as more and more

Arthur Blank, Boston, now offers the direct mail industry with a wide range of liquid-coated plastic cards that have the same look and feel as a credit card, but for a lower cost than the standard overlaminated finish. The cards are available in standard credit card size, as well as in the patented RAC card. Arthur Blank specializes in custom printed plastic cards, including private label loyalty, gift, phone, credit, debit, membership, security identification, access cards, RFID and Smart cards. For more information, visit www.arthurblank.com or call (800) 776-7333.

From gift cards to door hangers, printed plastic products are steadily replacing their paper-made counterparts, and in turn, multiplying industry profits. Just as the coveted department store gift card and the ever-present 60-minute pre-paid phone card have made a name for themselves, plastic cards and products are also taking on an increasingly dominant role in today's business practices. Arthur Blank & Co., a Boston-based supplier of private-label plastic cards, produces a variety of cards, including gift cards, membership and identification cards, access control cards and loyalty program cards. While color and design are usually the first attributes that capture customers' attention, there is more