Large-size printing requires a large-scale approach

In the past few years, no industry has been under stronger pressure than the printing industry. Businesses faced cutthroat competition, and cheap printing machines from the Far East flooded the market. So how has this 100% Dutch company managed to make it through these turbulent times? Van Straaten’s response: storm-proof canvas and a clear focus on quality.

 

‘As a company you have to adjust your product and service to market demand. When budgets shrink due to an economic crisis but quality requirements remain unchanged or become even more stringent, you have to find a solution. And this is precisely what we are very good at,’ says a passionate Nico van Straaten.

 

‘Initially, we made everything ourselves, but now we outsource labour-intensive and therefore costly jobs to partners across the world. In this way, we can continue to guarantee the printing quality as professionals in the graphics industry. After all, we have printing machines in all sorts and sizes at our disposal and are capable of providing a high-quality finish, such as hemming an 800-metre canvas or fitting 300 tarpaulins with some 4500 rings.’

 

In our Boesingheliede premises at Schipholweg 939, there is a continuous flow of incoming and outgoing shipments: to a partner in Singapore or to a customer in Munich. The spirit of boundless enterprise, the feeling that you own the world: it is all in a day’s work at Van Straaten. Niels van Straaten junior: ‘Today, we are more international than we have ever been. Our customers expand their businesses across the borders as well, and they call in Van Straaten as their trusted partner. They know that we live up to our promises. It has been this way for many generations of Van Straaten and it will not change in the future.’

The Van Straaten company has a rich history. Founded in 1918, it manufactured flags in all shapes and sizes and has always been known for its innovativeness. Van Straaten was the first printer to use such techniques as application printing and stippling, for instance. After the Second World War, the screen printing technology was embraced with the same kind of enthusiasm with which digital technology was introduced some 20 years ago. From working plan, ulanos, floppy disks and mobile disks to FTP and glass fibre, the submission method has changed, but the quality has remained unaffected. Today, eye-catching advertising is not only printed on flags but also on a wide range of materials: weatherproof acrylate board, hardwearing stickers for asphalt surfaces, high-quality PVC and of course the mega cloth to wrap up the largest buildings and objects. The printed material is set in a strong, stylish frame (and can be replaced easily). The high resolution creates an almost photographical result. The newest development is the textile frame with LED lighting. New times require a different approach.

‘The new generation of purchasers and creative professionals makes no phone calls,’ Van Straaten says. ‘They look for a creative partner and react via our blogs or Facebook page. It’s what we call social networking with a touch of business. Creative individuals do not stick to office hours and look for inspiration. They easily get in touch via the Internet, and later on they make an appointment for a personal meeting to discuss the further details of a concept. This is how the finest partnerships come about. As soon as people have seen our strength and capability and have woken up to the fact that we can turn their idea into something big, a winning combination emerges and they love to do business with Van Straaten. Additionally, we can be contacted 24/7 and are still fond of our profession. All these aspects together render Van Straaten a name that has been synonymous with grand advertising for almost a century.’