Published September 2005

Pacific Copy speeds
delivery time with new press

Snohomish County Business Journal/JOHN WOLCOTT Jerry Wilson, president of Everett’s Pacific Copy & Printing Co., is attracting new business with his high-speed press that dramatically reduces printing time.

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

Laying down ink on paper has been the essence of the printing industry since the time of Gutenberg. But how it’s done has changed dramatically. Now Pacific Copy & Printing Co. in Everett has a new multi-color offset press that raises the technology bar another notch.

“What’s important today is more than just the quality of the printing, it’s the turnaround time,” said Jerry Wilson, president of the 27-year-old company at 3502 Broadway in Everett.

“With this press, we can print up to 15,000 sheets per hour. We can print color on each side at the same time and the aqueous coating added during the printing cycle means immediate drying. That means no more four-hour or even overnight drying before we can print the other side of a sheet and speeds delivery of even the single-sided jobs. Time is important to people.”

Ordered last December, and installed this summer, the RYOBI 524GXP is one of the newest models from the Japanese firm. Capable of printing direct-to-plates from camera-ready art or digital files on paper up to approximately 15x20 inches, the press can handle a wider variety of work than most other types. Using a computer-to-printing plate process eliminates making negatives of page images and then making the plates, providing a faster turnaround time.

Wilson spent a year researching new, high-speed presses and surveying potential new markets for it. Although the press’ technology will open up new market niches for his company, so far he’s already gained orders for new business from existing customers who have brought him additional work because of the press’ capabilities.

The press enables Wilson to do longer press runs faster, with no drying time and with higher printing quality. He expects the press will be used more often for small to medium-sized commercial projects.

His company spent more than $600,000 to put the high-tech press into service, including a $50,000 remodeling at his 4,500-square-foot facility to put the 23-foot-long press into place on a reinforced concrete foundation to support its 28,000-pound bulk. Also, the building’s electrical power system was upgraded from 400 to 800 amps.

Wilson, who has 43 years of experience in the printing business, said Pacific Copy and Printing has never before made an investment of that size, but it’s a significant step for the future that he believes will help the business continue to grow.

For more information, e-mail Jerry Wilson at jwilson@paccopy.com or visit www.paccopy.com.

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