Quality Printing expands with Konica Minolta press

Quality Printing, a family owned full-service print shop in Luverne, Minnesota, has added a Konica Minolta AccurioLabel 230, expanding its capabilities by offering durable labels, including labels printed on self-adhesive papers, synthetics and films.

Owned and operated since 1999 by Mark and Annie Opitz, Quality Printing employs nine staff members and prints a range of products, including business cards, brochures, posters, large-format signage, vehicle graphics, banners and promotional items. It also provides finishing services, including laminating and spiral binding, in addition to a copy center and complete in-house design services. However, Quality Printing was still outsourcing specialty services, including labels. As the owners looked toward building a lasting legacy for their son, Tony, they recognized that as offset printing has transitioned to digital printing, demand for offset printing has actually grown, supported by additional large-format customers transitioning to Quality Printing. The adoption of large-format printing in 2009, with its flexibility of shorter print runs and faster turnaround times, expanded its capabilities and grew the business substantially. The company anticipates continued growth in both offset and large-format printing as its label business expands.

'Introducing large-format printing was a turning point for our business. It drove remarkable growth,' said Annie Opitz. 'As we looked ahead to the future, we saw digital printing as the next strategic step to ensure continued success and create a strong foundation to eventually pass the business on to our son.'

One of the key drivers behind Quality Printing's expansion into label production was an opportunity to better serve an existing client — a local case-ready pork processing plant. Already providing extensive signage for the facility, Quality Printing responded when the client expressed a need for a nearby label supplier. Recognizing the importance of meeting rigorous industry standards, the team embarked on a search for the optimal digital label technology. They invested time educating themselves on the technical requirements and ensuring the labels would withstand both production line conditions and freezer environments.

'We explored several digital label press options, but Konica Minolta and their AccurioLabel 230 quickly stood out,' said Mark Opitz. 'Their sales representative was highly responsive, visiting multiple times to address our questions thoroughly. The broader team also flew in to conduct on-site test runs, giving us full confidence in the press' capabilities and the quality of label production we could achieve. It was evident that Konica Minolta was committed not just to delivering a product, but to building a lasting partnership.'

The AccurioLabel 230 is the third redesign of Konica Minolta's label series of toner-based printers. It delivers speed enhancements of up to 76 f/min; produces labels on self-adhesive papers, synthetics and films; and offers user-friendly operation for consistently high-quality label output.

'Our customers appreciate our ability to provide high-quality, short-run labels with fast turnaround times,' said Annie Opitz. 'Since installing the AccurioLabel 230, we've seen growing interest from new and existing clients, including the pork processing plant, and are actively pursuing additional contracts. The versatility of the press has opened up new opportunities, and we're excited to scale production, potentially adding a night shift to meet demand.'

'We're thrilled to support Quality Printing in their transition to digital printing and to contribute our specialized expertise in label production,' said Frank Mallozzi, president, IPP, Konica Minolta. 'The AccurioLabel 230 serves as a robust entry point into our digital label portfolio, and we remain committed to helping Quality Printing maximize the value of their investment and achieve continued success with their new press.'