By Melissa Donovan
Savvy print providers that recognize the potential of digitally printed textiles early on are poised to benefit. There is increased demand for customized fabric-based products in a number of industries—trade show, retail, apparel, décor, and hospitality. With such an array of options, requests are endless and companies must be equipped with the right tools to sustain an on demand production process.
Multiple Divisions
Meno Enterprises LLC celebrates over ten years in business. It opened in 2005 with its core offering textile printing, specifically digital dye-sublimation (dye-sub). In addition, the company provides cut and sew manufacturing, customization, embroidery, fulfillment, and material sourcing. The first iteration of Meno Enterprises serviced retail marketing by manufacturing signage, banners, and point of sale (POS) displays.
With a particularly large customer base in the bedding industry, the company created its Retail Mattress Solutions (RMS) division in 2012 to supply point of purchase marketing materials. Continued growth in the popularity of digitally printed fabrics led to the addition of two other divisions in 2013. Planet Trade Show and Sign caters to trade show and graphic signage and Catalyst Fabric Solutions markets vertically manufactured products to the on demand industry as well as traditional retail and wholesale models.
Collectively known as the Meno Enterprises Group, its main headquarters is in Ball Ground, GA. The 25,000 square foot facility is home to RMS and Planet Trade Show and Sign. In 2016, Catalyst Fabric Solutions incorporated as a FL company and moved to its current location in Marianna, FL with over 265,000 square feet of manufacturing space.
Poised for Production
The Meno Enterprises Group as a whole prints a daily capacity of 20,000 linear yards and a weekly capacity of 116,000 linear yards. Of that, it transfers 15,000 linear yards/pieces per day and 105,000 linear yards/pieces per week. These prints are made up into what Meno Enterprises Group classifies as small, midsize, and large and complex items.
None of this would be possible without digital. In all of its divisions, Meno Enterprises Group relies on large format printers from DGI, utilizing equipment up to 74 inches in width since 2005 and adding grand format in 2011. It runs the HS FT, HS FT II, FT-3204X, and FT-1908 models across its production facilities, with ten DGI printers currently under its ownership.
“I was attracted to DGI because of the printers speed and high-volume production capability. My goal was to increase production capacity, improve production times, and perfect print quality. Since becoming a DGI shop, we have seen dramatic improvement in all areas,” shares Chuck Smith, CEO, Meno Enterprises Group.
The printers run with ink from Kiian Digital or Sensient Imaging Technologies. Both offer high density, which results in a large color gamut. According to Smith, the larger color gamut makes it easier to hit difficult, vibrant colors like bright green.
Vibrant Booth Displays
Meno Enterprises Group’s Planet Trade Show and Sign division recently completed trade show graphics for repeat client Top Value Fabrics. In its third year of collaboration, Planet Trade Show and Sign looked to create output with a vibrant color palette while maintaining quality control.
The graphics, for Top Value Fabrics’ booth display at the International Sign Association’s (ISA) ISA Sign Expo held in Spring 2017 consisted of 1,394 square feet of printed material. Coldenhove Papier Jetcol HTR3500 126-inch transfer paper was printed on a DGI FT-3204X printer. The graphics were then transferred onto Top Value Fabrics’ Supernova backlit fabric.
From job submittal to install, the entire project took three to four weeks. Challenges associated included achieving the correct saturation levels for backlit graphics. The DGI printer and Sensient ink produced the client’s desired outcome.
Investing in Growth
Meno Enterprises Group’s investment in a stable of DGI dye-sub printers enabled it to grow three-fold. Because of this, at press time, it purchased an additional ten DGI HS FT devices, with the plan for them to be delivered just in time for the company’s peak on demand season.
Oct2017, Digital Output
