Steven Enterprises - a wide-format equipment dealer with a very diverse line-up

Not a reprographer, but a well respected wide-format equipment dealer/distributor. (And, they are ReproMax member.)

“For over 21 years, Steven Enterprises, Inc. has been the wide format industry’s go-to source for the finest quality CAD, graphics, printing and imaging products. Our sincere dedication to the highest quality customer service, paired with our vast product selection and in-house service expertise, has proven a win-win combination for our customer base.”

Talk about “covering (all of) the bases,” Steven Enterprises’ line-up of wide-format printers and multifunction systems:

-Epson

-KIP

-Canon

-HP

-OCE

-Seiko Teriostar

I was a bit surprised that they don’t also sell the Xerox IJP 2000, the RTI Vortex 4200, and Roland and Mutoh!

Steven Enterprises Inc.

17952 Sky Park Circle, Suite E

Irvine, CA 92614

Tel: (800) 491-8785

Fax: (949) 225-0419

info@plotters.com

Blog Publisher’s comment:

One has to wonder (and, at this point, can only wonder), how HP’s upcoming launch of its PageWide wide-format printers and multifunction systems will affect which brands and models of wide-format equipment distributors of wide-format decide to carry and sell in the future.  The big question is, “will there be a big shake up” in the market, and, if so, which brands and models will continue to be viable (sellable) in the future?

Autodesk Earnings Results - AEC business segment revenue increases substantially

Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 26th.

The company reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.24 by $0.01.

The company had revenue of $665.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $650.50 million.

During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.40 earnings per share.

The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.3% on a year-over-year basis.

On average, analysts predict that Autodesk, Inc. will post $1.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Revenue from the AEC business segment was $242 million, an increase of 24 percent compared to the fourth quarter last year. Revenue from the Platform Solutions and Emerging Business (PSEB) segment was $189 million, a decrease of 4 percent compared to the fourth quarter last year. Revenue from the Manufacturing business segment was $190 million, an increase of 23 percent compared to the fourth quarter last year. Revenue from the Media and Entertainment business (M&E) segment was $43 million, an increase of 5 percent compared to the fourth quarter last year.

Another “Blueprinting” company modernizes its name!

Miller Blueprint is now Miller Imaging & Digital Solutions. 

The Press Release about the name change was posted on the RSA Blog.

Miller also revealed its new logo and announced its new location.

Miller Imaging & Digital Solutions is located in Austin, TX

RTI Digital Expands Dealer Network for the Memjet-Powered Vortex 4200 Wide Format Printer – Mac Papers is now a reseller of the RTI Vortex 4200

From MarketWatch.com, published: Feb 25, 2015 8:01 a.m. ET

SAN DIEGO, CA, Feb 25, 2015 (Marketwired via COMTEX) -- Today, RTI Digital, Ltd., part of the Reprographic Technology group of companies and a leading industry supplier to the digital production print, wide format print and label print markets, announced a partnership with Mac Papers. This reseller agreement will expand the dealer network for RTI-Digital's Memjet-powered Vortex 4200 Wide Format printer and empower a community of commercial print shops to benefit from industry-leading single pass printing technology.

Mac Papers, based in Florida, is a leading provider of paper, packaging, wide format printing, graphics, facility solutions and business products with 22 branch locations and 18 Mini Mac store locations throughout a nine-state region. The company's new partnership with RTI-Digital demonstrates its dedication to working with best-in-class suppliers to help businesses and consumers deliver quality results, improve efficiency and increase their bottom lines.

"RTI Digital introduced the Vortex 4200 to North America through a partnership with the #1 Network of dealers last year, and we are pleased to enhance our presence with a formalized dealership arrangement with Mac Papers to cover the Southeast United States. Mac Papers has a tremendous reputation and delivers a winning combination of sales support and service for the Vortex printer. Together, we will empower their customers to find new ways to produce revenue and profit," said Kevin Howes, Director of Wide Format, RTI Digital.

Mac Papers will be showcasing the Vortex 4200 printer at Graphics of the Americas Expo at booth 745. Mac Papers and RTI Digital will also be hosting open house events in Jacksonville, FL on March 5-7 at the Sawgrass Mariott; in Atlanta on March 26 at Mac Paper's Lithia Springs office; and in Charlotte, NC in early April.

The partnership with Mac Papers is preceded by new dealer appointments with Miller Blueprint of Austin, Texas and United Reprographics of Seattle, Washington. Both Miller Blueprint and United Reprographics chose the Vortex 4200 to drive new equipment sales where customers benefit from the unprecedented quality and speed offered by the Vortex 4200 printer, and ultimately its ability to help end users reach greater efficiencies in print operations.

The 42 inch wide full color Vortex 4200 printer is based on Memjet's unique Waterfall Print Technology(R), which provides revolutionary high print speed and superior quality. Compared to traditional wide format printers, the Vortex 4200 delivers incredibly fast job turnaround times and an attractive total cost of ownership. The Vortex prints at up to 12 inches (30 cm) per second (IPS) allowing print shops and in-plant customers to output up to over 9000 sq/ft (836 sqm) per hour of full color graphic arts for signage, POP, GIS and other wide format technical applications.

EFI and Konica Minolta Business Solutions Establish Wide-Format Printer Distribution Agreement

Blog Publisher’s Comment:

Konica-Minolta expands its wide-format printing systems portfolio to EFI wide-format systems.  Today’s visit to Konica-Minolta’s web-site does not yet reveal that information.  K-M’s web-site does show that K-M offers the full lineup of KIP printers and systems and a full lineup of HP DesignJet printers as well.  I’m wondering how reprographers, those who are KIP and HP dealers, feel about K-M’s push into the wide-format equipment market.

From a Press Release issued by EFI on February 17, 2015

EFI and Konica Minolta Business Solutions Establish Wide-Format Printer Distribution Agreement

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 17, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EFI™ (Nasdaq:EFII) and Konica Minolta Business Solutions (KMBS) are bringing advanced, high-quality wide-format inkjet imaging technology to a broader selection of the printing industry through an expansion of their existing partnership. Under the terms of a new agreement between the two companies, KMBS and its authorized dealer network will service and sell EFI Wide Format LED and UV inkjet printers.

The non-exclusive agreement expands the market presence for EFI to KMBS's extensive customer base of North American digital printing providers. It also provides KMBS with a stronger wide-format production offering, using advanced technologies from EFI - the graphic arts industry's leading provider of LED and UV inkjet printers and inks.

"This new agreement expands upon our long term partnership with EFI," said Kevin P. Kern, senior vice president, Marketing at Konica Minolta Business Solutions. "The unique attributes of EFI's inkjet products allow us to offer new capabilities to our Graphic Communications Customers, providing them access to new markets for high-value print."

"EFI has longstanding, successful strategic alliance with KMBS centered on the development of EFI Fiery® products for Konica Minolta production equipment, and we are very pleased to have the opportunity to expand our partnership," said Frank Mallozzi, EFI's senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing. "We are excited that KMBS, with its extensive distribution and deep relationship with customers, chose EFI Wide Format products as a high-quality inkjet graphics platform to offer to its customers."

Dino Pagliarello, director of product marketing for KMBS, announced the wide-format distribution pact during Konica Minolta's National Dealer Meeting in Los Angeles. The two companies already work together to develop digital front ends that provide advanced color imaging and production capabilities on Konica Minolta digital presses and printers.

High-quality imaging, and an even higher return on investment.

EFI's top-selling hybrid roll/flatbed wide-format product, the EFI H1625 LED printer, is the first printer available in KMBS sales channels through the new agreement. The versatile, 65-inch wide printer gives KMBS customers the benefit of higher-end imaging using four color grayscale printheads producing near-photographic image quality with saturated colors and smooth gradations.

The printer also offers EFI's industry-leading white ink, a truly differentiating feature that expands the productivity, value and quality users can offer on backlit signage, aluminum and aluminum composite signage, window clings and other popular offerings printed on clear, metallic or colored media. EFI's industry-leading "cool cure" LED technology on the printer reduces energy consumption and costs compared to arc lamp UV and latex inkjet printers, plus it gives users the ability to print on a broader range of substrates, including media that cannot withstand high-heat drying or curing methods.

Thanks to its reduced energy usage and an affordable price, this hybrid printer model has a low total cost of operation, which makes the printer an even more valuable addition to the line-up of inkjet products KMBS sells.

KMBS and authorized KMBS resellers will begin selling EFI LED Wide Format hybrid printers in May. For more information about EFI Wide Format printers, visit www.efi.com, or call 800-875-7117.