Delta Printing Solutions: The Best Kept Secret in the West
By Staff Writer, Printing Impressions

Delta Printing Solutions has emerged as a formidable player in the U.S. book manufacturing market, yet they have managed to go largely unnoticed outside the West Coast.

“This is just the way we like it,” says Jerry Bernstein, Executive Vice President of the Valencia, CA-based company that’s become a top provider of books, manuals, catalogs, journals, and directories. “We are the largest independent book printer in the Western United States. We’re not only a hidden gem but a well-kept secret.”

Delta Printing Solutions has equipment suited to all production quantities from small, through large runs with particular emphasis on meeting quick-turn and Just-In-Time requirements. In fact, it’s their ability to deliver a fast, 10-day turnaround for most medium to high volume jobs that gives them a decided edge.

Uniquely Positioned
Based in Southern California, Delta Printing Solutions is uniquely positioned to take advantage of their geographic location. It has been estimated that this region has the fifth largest economy in the world with a number of major companies within easy striking distance.

“We’re sitting in the midst of a region that’s an economic juggernaut,” says Bernstein. “We’re in the right position to serve our marketplace. And we’ve positioned ourselves to provide the right sort of turnaround time.”

That includes operating out of a 120,000 square-foot facility that has been recently redesigned to maximize productivity.

Delta has a fully digital prepress system that can accommodate nearly any software used in publishing. Armed with computer-to-plate (CTP) technology and an array of sheetfed and web printing presses, Delta Printing is able to deliver the finest quality bound books. Another part of the Delta Printing selling proposition is that the company recently installed a state-of-the-art, 12,000 cycles per hour Muller Martini Corona Perfect Binder, one of the largest of its kind in the West.

Keeping up with technological changes in the marketplace has enabled Delta to post an average lead time of only two weeks. According to Bernstein, very few companies would even contemplate a two-week lead time. Bigger companies, he says, routinely offer four to eight weeks.

“We proactively manage our capacity so we have the ability to scale and flex as customer requirements dictate,” adds Matt Keller, Vice President of Sales for Delta. “That’s part of our organization’s DNA. It’s how we do business and is the value we create for our customers.”

Quick Turnaround
Delivering product in a timely fashion and providing stellar service is a top priority for Delta.

“It’s our ability to provide both very well that makes us a very unique company,” says Bernstein. “There aren’t many companies like us on the West Coast that can do this.”

Book manufacturing is most commonly associated with the Midwest and to a lesser extent the East Coast, mainly because California is viewed as being too expensive and too heavily regulated. Constraints such as space, labor costs and a remote customer base all are reasons why the West Coast book manufacturing industry has lagged behind the rest of the country. Obviously, the folks at Delta Printing think there’s opportunity in overcoming challenges.

“Transportation is a huge cost variable in this business,” says Keller. “Our proximity to West Coast drop points gives us a leg up on the national book manufacturers since we can supply the West and Southwest more competitively from our location.”

For example, El Paso, TX, is a key shipping point for the Southwest U.S. and Mexico but for printers in the Midwest and East Coast, it’s a long haul by truck. Products routinely take up to seven days for common carrier delivery, so shipping time from the Northeast sometimes ends up being longer than the total time it takes for Delta to turnaround the entire project.

Delta Printing Solutions began making changes in its management team last year which included rebuilding the sales force to match their business strategy. Tony Richardson, President and CEO of Delta, says things are starting to “gel” for the Los Angeles County company.

“A book manufacturing company cannot be successful without an aggressive, knowledgeable, and helpful sales force,” says Richardson.

Going Green
Committed to providing environmentally-conscious options for its customers, Delta recently received a Chain of Custody certification by the Forestry Stewardship Council that allows the company to offer eco-friendly alternatives such as Delta 40™ and Delta100™ recycled paper (40% and 100% post-consumer waste content). Delta has noticed a spike in supplying post-recycled paper to its clients with six major customers committed to coming on board in the next few months.

“We’re working closely with our suppliers and continue to push hard on the environmental side,” Richardson proudly states.

As part of its FSC certification, Delta recently began recycling scrap, obsolete books and other printed paper products from its customers.

“We will take their old books, bring them back to Delta and reenter them into the recycling stream,” says Richardson. “All this paper fiber goes back into the paper supply. It’s a service our clients used to pay for but now we’re able to provide this free of charge. Our shared commitment to the recycling effort further cements our relationship with our customers.”

Supply by Demand
Delta serves a broad base of core markets with customers representing such diverse industries as healthcare, publishing, entertainment and software, consumer electronics, automotive, education and technology.

“A number of our customers have been with our company for 15 years or more,” says Keller. “We pride ourselves on our proven ability to serve and maintain customers as diverse as Fortune 500 companies to those that produce only one book title a year.”

“We want to better understand the direction our customers are trying to take so we can be part of their future progress,” adds Bernstein. “With supply chain customers comprising 50% of our Southern California customer base, we have a perfect 100% on-time performance rating. There aren’t many companies that can make this claim.”

Delta Printing Solutions has been committed to meeting the needs of customers for more than fifty years. Located in Los Angeles County, Delta Printing Solutions is the largest independent provider of books, manuals, catalogs, journals and directories in the Western United States. The company offers superior prepress, printing, finishing and binding services with state-of-the-art technology and craftsmanship. For more information, see www.deltaprintingsolutions.com.