Graphic Center Inc.’s investment late last year in two printing presses provides unprecedented opportunities for its prospects and regular customers.

Richard A. Biolchino president of the printing and digital center said the primary reason the company purchased the printing machines was because he believes the Maite facility should have two of everything. The cost of the Miller 5 Color and the HP Indigo digital press is estimated at $300 000. Each new printing press complements an existing machine at Graphic Center.

The Miller 5 Color is a 40-inch press used for large volumes of printing. Biolchino said he believed Graphic Center was the first company on Guam to purchase the Miller. The printing press can print up to four colors and an additional gloss coating a service no other company on island provides. The Indigo also prints in multicolors but this machine allows technicians to print any quantity. (The Miller in September and the digital in December). He said acquisition of the new machines would help the company’s customers market their products and services to a targeted audience.

Graphic Center began as a commercial printer in 1992 printing business cards and brochures. The company has evolved to meet the demands of a more database driven world.

“Our core business is still commercial printing but we gravitated to the data side content management and direct mailings ” Biolchino said. “Guam has very little direct-mail marketing which is a unique offering via the postal service tailored to a certain demographic.”

Graphic Center with 22 employees has been providing the unique marketing methodology for about four years. The printing company was usually tasked to target messages to a certain group based on either age gender income or industry interests.

“The industry says you glance or hear thousands of ads a day so it really comes down to what message is going to stick. Our direct mail is a way of getting a targeted message we know you’ll read because the content is relative to your interests ” he said. “Mass media advertisement works but whether or not it produces verifiable results is questionable; whereas with sending a piece of direct mail it can be verified.”

Biolchino said it was difficult initially to get customers interested in direct mailing but once they took advantage of direct mailing they wanted to do it again and still do their branding and usual choice of advertising.

The company’s new printing presses will allow for more flexibility for Graphic Center to work on its pricing structure.

Biolchino said he realized that many publications that are distributed locally are sent to off-island printers. He attributed that to the cost of printing off-island being less expensive and called on local businesses and the administration to support Guam businesses. “I don’t think it’s right whether a printing job is done down the street or here. We’re all fighting the Asian printers because there’s too much money going off-island. And I also don’t think the government of Guam should be sending anything off-island ” he said.

Nevertheless Biolchino recognized the realities of business and intended to make his range more attractive to local consumers. “With the addition of the new machines we’re going to try to work on lowering our prices a little more.” MBJ