MWM Dexter Inc.: Commercial printer undertakes $1 million in upgrades for 2004

by Dustin Shipman

SBJ Intern

sbj@sbj.net

Aurora-based MWM Dexter Inc. is the area's largest commercial printer in terms of employment, according to the 2004 SBJ Book of Lists. The company has added more than $1 million in new equipment, software and facilities upgrades for 2004.

"So far this year we have added a new die-cutting machine, a folder/gluer machine which allows us to do custom projects as well as presentation folders, and we have also added a perfect binder," said Kim Lehere, director of marketing for MWM Dexter. "This will allow us to expand our product and service offering."

MWM Dexter has about 150 employees and its client list includes 417 Magazine, Day Spring (a division of Hallmark) and Gospel Publishing House.

Company President Chris Dale said adding the new machines will give MWM Dexter the ability to do many more types of printing jobs for clients.

"This is a full-size die cutter which allows us to cut a 28-by-40 sheet," Dale said. "The pocket folder/gluer allows us to do presentation folders, CD covers and various other packaging. The perfect binder enables us to do perfect-bound catalogues and soft-cover books up to 256 pages plus the cover."

MWM Dexter has offered these services for their customers in the past, but they had to subcontract them to other companies.

"This was an opportunity to offer new products to new customers. It also allows us to grow by adding new products to current customers," Lehere said.

"We have had several large clients that we have been printing, for quite some time that have grown to a point where we could not service them anymore if we did not add equipment."

MWM Dexter handles many different jobs a year focusing primarily on promotional four-color printing, and also is one of the largest non-denominational church bulletin printers in the country.

"We have roughly 7,000 to 10,000 jobs come through here a year," Lehere said. "Jobs range from a $60 business card to $200,000 to $300,000 border, and everything in-between."

Lehere added that the company expects $16 million in revenue for 2004, and said this expansion is a reflection of the company's level of service and commitment to its customers.

"We are able to provide quality that can be matched with much larger companies, so we can offer clients that kind of cutting-edge technology, but they are still going to get the small company service," Lehere said. "Clients get that kind of service throughout the entire route their project takes through our system."

This is a business philosophy that has, so far, paid off, as MWM Dexter won the bronze award in 2003 at the 16th annual Gold Ink Awards in Philadelphia.

"We have geared ourselves to be an extremely high-quality printer," Dale said, "They say on the price, quality and service triangle you can get two out of three, but not all three. We believe that in this day and age you have to give all three."