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Vinyl Art opened its doors more than 35 years ago. During that time, they have helped hundreds of local Minnesota companies – as well as over 10,000 companies nationwide – create customized vinyl packaging products.
“You’ve got two choices in business,” says Vinyl Art’s President, Rob Roy. “You can offer excuses, or you can provide solutions. We’re still here 35 years later, so you know which one we picked.”
Roy attributes the company’s longevity to a constant focus on three factors. He punctuates each with the uptick of a finger. “Quality. Delivery. Flexibility. That’s what we stand for. Our existing customers know it. New customers seek us out for it.”
Those new customers are sometimes surprised to discover that this small Minneapolis company with a national reputation even exists. Roy says that he and his team never struggle with this. “You probably only need to know who we are if you need what we make,” he says.
Just what, exactly, does Vinyl Art make? As the name suggests, the company manufactures custom vinyl, plastic, and polypropylene packaging solutions. When pressed further, Roy offers a few examples. “Got a conference or tradeshow coming up?” he asks. “An office supply store will tell you your badges and display material has to fit into whatever shapes they’ve got to sell. When you come to us, we’ll create custom badge holders and protective sleeves that fit what the shapes you want to create.”
Vinyl Art’s clients range from large retailers needing point-of-sale and merchandising material, to financial and healthcare organizations looking for ways to creatively present and protect presentation material. “You still might have one of the products we manufacture even if you’re not associated with these industries,” says Roy. “Got a fishing license? There’s a good chance it’s in a protective sleeve made right here.”
The company has weathered change and disruption during its 35-plus years of existence. Roy explains that the rise of vinyl product manufacturers throughout Asia has done away with some of his competitors in the U.S. “They’ll try to undercut our prices. Again, it comes back to excuses or solutions. You get what you pay for. There’s potentially going to be a quality issue, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Do you have enough trust that a company half a world way is going to meet your delivery deadline? You might just get an excuse instead of your product.”
Roy leads the way over to the manufacturing machinery occupying a large area of the Vinyl Art facilities. “We manufacture what you order right here,” he says. “It gives us a huge advantage. We can often produce a vinyl product from start to finish in the time it takes for an overseas competitor to move it from their factory to a seaport freight yard for shipping. That’s what we mean when we talk about delivery.”
And it means there’s still one more of Vinyl Art’s three important factors to cover: flexibility. “You’ve got to see this,” Roy says. In a different part of the facility, there are over 5,000 dies – machined metal stencils that seal out the shapes which become custom packaging products for customers. “The die is often one of the biggest expenses,” says Roy. “What’s unfortunate is there’s really nothing else you can do with it once the manufacturing run is over.”
Roy gives a reassuring smile. “But we’re all about solutions, remember? Let’s say a customer comes to us with a new and unique design. Thanks to over 35 years in business, we’ve got over 5,000 in-house dies we can repurpose. It saves our customers time and money. It allows us to focus on quality.”
Vinyl Art recently invested in a comprehensive upgrade to its manufacturing equipment. A substantial portion of the facilities also underwent a major renovation. “We’re ready for the future now,” says Roy. “Some people just sit on their history. We’re putting ours to work.”
A steady uptick in business has created new employment opportunities at the company. “It’s an exciting time to come on board,” says Roy. “We may be edging closer to our 40th anniversary, but we show up here every day with a startup mentality. Would you like to join us?”
Release ID: 200698