Industry News
Stop by weekly to catch up on the latest news about products and people in the marking industry.
News for March 11, 2010
All Purpose Cement
United Marking Inc. offers S-18 All Purpose Cement, a great product for most adhesive needs of stamp manufacturers. This product
- bonds rubber or polymer to wood, metal, rubber or plastic.
- bonds other materials frequently used by RSMs.
- is waterproof, flexible, temperature and weather resistant.
- comes with easy-to-use brush inside the cap.
S-18 is easy to use right out of the quart can. Coat both surfaces to be bonded, wait a few minutes and press together the pieces to be joined. The S-18 bond increases as the cement sets. S-18 is for industrial use only and contains organic solvents including toluene. Appropriate warning labels are printed on the container.
S-18 All Purpose Cement is not shown in the current United Marking 2009 Catalog & Price List.
For more information, contact United Marking Inc., 866/447-8267; E-mail: sales@unitedmarking.com
"Best Showcase" Award
Johnson Plastics was honored with the "Best Showcase" award at the 2010 ARA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in early March. The award-winning showcase featured the company's new products for sublimation including flip-flops, white stainless steel travel mug, water bottle, wallets, sunglasses case—even a sublimatable throw—all displayed in a summery, attention-getting beach scene.
The award is based on the "total utilization of the entire space, any special effects that may have been used, overall eye-catching appearance and colors used," according to Richard Schaefer, chairman of the ARA Awards Committee and one of the supplier showcase judges. "What made the Johnson Plastics showcase stand out was that it was very colorful and bright and pleasant to look at," he added, pointing out that Johnson used the entire display case: back, side walls and bottom.
"The showcase gave us a wonderful opportunity to show off our exciting new sublimatable products just in time for the summer season," says Margaret Johnson. "Winning the award was the icing on the cake."
(Note: Photo courtesy of ARA)
For more information, contact Johnson Plastics, 9240 Grand Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55420-3604; 800/869-7800, 612/888-9507; Fax: 612/888-4997; Web: www.johnsonplastics.com
News from Trodat
Perfect Stamp for Notaries
Trodat's Mobile Printy, the true "one-handed" self-inking pocket stamp, is now available in the perfect size for notaries. The new 9413 features a generous plate size of 7/8 inch x 2 3/8 inches, the same size as the popular 4913—the die-plate favored by many notaries around the country. Featuring the same clean, simple operation as Trodat's other Mobile Printys, the 9413 is sure to be a big hit with customers looking for the perfect stamp on the go. It is available in multiple case colors and is ready for order.
New Printy Dater
In response to stamp makers' requests in the United States, Trodat is launching the equivalent to the old Ideal 5732D. The Printy 43132, a new 1 1/4-inch x 1 1/4-inch square plastic dater, is in stock now and ready to order. Designed and built to meet the high standards of the Trodat Printy line, the 43132 features a variety of pad colors, including dry pads, and is guaranteed to have at least 10 years on the bands.
An American Original: Improved
The best selling self-inking stamp in the United States has undergone some important improvements in the past few months. In order to improve the structure of the stamp, several design enhancements to internal parts will ensure more durability and consistency of impressions. Long considered some of the best in the industry, Trodat pad material and technology have been incorporated in the Ideal product. The new technology means a better overall first impression; better impressions on stamps with borders; and a better transfer to the index label, avoiding letter fill in. These improvements show Trodat's commitment to the Ideal line and to Ideal customers in the United States.
Trodat Professional: Better than Ever
In recent months, Trodat put the Professional Line up against the competition using an independent testing company. The results are posted on Trodat's home page at www.trodat.net. The company encourages you to check out these results for yourself. Additionally, many Trodat customers have requested that the Professional Line be made available with the text plate adhesive already applied to the platen. The company is pleased to announce that this feature has been incorporated into the Professional Line here in the United States and that all sizes will ship this way in the near future.
For more information, call Trodat at 1-800/TRODAT1, or contact a regional account manager.
News from ConnectWeb Technologies Inc.
ConnectWeb Technologies Inc. has released a new optional service for Stamp Shop Web clients—Customer Chat. This service allows SSW clients to communicate instantly with customers of their shop. The service is built into the administration section, combining both convenience and usability. ConnectWeb clients can provide direct customer service, chatting with potential customers instantly, answering their product questions and closing more sales.
ConnectWeb also has officially released to their Stamp Shop Web clients a solution to retyping stamps. Autoset, a program designed and built by ConnectWeb's team, serves SSW clients by typesetting stamps designed by their customers automatically to CorelDRAW. Autoset saves time, money and the risk of mistakes during re-typesetting. This new product requires no special training and frees up precious time by "automagically" typesetting stamps.
The company also introduces the latest addition to its team, graphic designer Becky Skelley. She joins the ConnectWeb team as a recent graduate from Northeastern University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design. During her time at Northeastern, she was involved in three different 6-month co-op opportunities to work in her field of study, attaining exceptional cooperation and communication skills. Skelley specializes in creating unique graphics with the click of a mouse. She is a resourceful and intelligent addition to the team.
For more information, contact ConnectWeb Technologies Inc., 978/531-7700, 800/55-MY-WEB; Web: www.cwebtechnologies.com
FRS Industries Celebrates 125 Years
FRS Industries based in Fargo, North Dakota, is celebrating its 125th anniversary during 2010. Nugent & Brown Bookbinders, as it was known in 1885, was started by G.H. Brown and A.E. Nugent of Fargo. About 1913, they became known as Fargo Rubber Stamp Works when Iver Fossum took ownership. Fossum and his son Cyrus ran Fargo Rubber Stamp Works for many years. In 1976, Fossum sold to eight employees. Over the years, Fargo Rubber Stamp added many product lines and now manufactures multi-color rubber stamps, full-color award ribbons and rosettes, full-color name badges, interior signage, screen and digital printed items such as decals, wearables and many promotional items including promotional buttons and ribbons. Fargo Rubber Stamp Works became FRS Industries Inc. in 1982 because of the broad range of products it offers. FRS Industries distributes its products nationwide through promotional and advertising specialty distributors. FRS is presently owned by Dale and Sheri Larson of Moorhead, Minnesota.
For more information, contact FRS Industries Inc., 64 N. Fourth St., Fargo, ND 58102; 701/235-5347; Fax: 701/235-0753; Web: www.FRSIND.com
Stamp-Connection: A "Best Company" to Work for
Stamp-Connection ranks third (Small category) this year in the list of "100 Best Companies in Oregon to Work for," a survey published by Oregon Business.
According to Oregon Business, "Best Companies" provide care, leadership and fun. Twenty thousand workplace satisfaction surveys sent in by Oregon employees placed Stamp-Connection squarely in the top sector.
Oregon Business reports that the Stamp-Connection workplace "bustles with cheerful camaraderie. Wages are not particularly high and days off are rare, but [employees] receive 100 percent paid health coverage, an aggressive 401(k) plan matched by the company, dental and life insurance coverage, and two 3 percent raises per year."
Owner John Clark believes his employees are his major asset and that it is necessary to take good care of them so they will in turn take good care of the customers. It follows, notes Oregon Business, that the category that put the company high up on this list of Best Small Companies was "decision-making and trust."
For more information, contact Stamp-Connection, 109 NE Roberts Ave., Gresham, OR 97030; 503/667-1133, 855/667-1133; Fax 503/667-1552, 866/667-1552; Web: www.Stamp-Connection.com