"Riddle me This" - Travels with Larry

 

What do the year 1934, Audio Oscillators, a "Mickey Mouse" type company, a coin toss, and $530 have in common with a very well-known 76-year-old company that employs 317,500 people and does business in 170 countries? And why is TAPPI talking about it? 

 

The company, I won’t give you the name right away, but their initials are HP.

 

On Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, Kristi Ledbetter, Eric Fletty, and I had the privilege of having two gentlemen from one of TAPPI’s newest sustaining members pay a visit to TAPPI’s world headquarters in Peachtree Corners, Ga. 

 

Yishai Amir, VP and GM, HP Graphic Solutions Business-Americas, and Stephen Shannon, National Sales Manager, Industrial Packaging Solutions-Graphics Solutions Business, stopped in to see us. They wanted to tell us what they had to offer the industry and wanted to know about TAPPI’s global footprint.

 

Their group produces high speed digital printers for the corrugated, folding carton, flexible packaging, and tape & label industries around the world.

 

They have a state-of-the-art "experience center" in our backyard, located in Alpharetta, Ga. (by the way, they love to have customers and prospects come by for a tour).

 

Some of the discussions centered on HP’s 12-month or less ROI on their digital printers, reduced inventory of printing plates, and the fact that they manufacture their own inks and print heads, eliminating print waste.

 

HP also stated that they can co-exist with other types of current printing methods in a plant setting. They currently have 6,000 HP Indigo digital presses installed in more than 4,000 customer locations in 120 countries. 

 

With more than a half dozen models to choose from, they feel they can offer their customers plenty of choices for custom graphic solutions. HP likes to say, "We solve today’s problems, while inventing the future." 

 

Now back to the riddle. 1934 is the year that Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard became friends. Audio Oscillators were one of the first product lines they made. The "Mickey Mouse" type company also happened to be their first customer. Walt Disney ordered five units or so to enhance the sound in his animated movie Fantasia. The coin toss was to determine whose name would go first for the name of the company. (Can you imagine calling the company PH?). The $530 was all the working capital they had to start the company (including the coin that they tossed). Why is TAPPI talking about them? Because their state-of-the-art product line can make an impact on TAPPI members in the corrugated, folding carton, flexible packaging, tape & label, and even our Tissue Division.

 

Yishai just celebrated his 20th year with HP this month. Both he and Stephen are industry veterans. However, their passion for their company and their ever-improving product lines comes shining through like two kids in a candy store. 

 

 

 

In the photo are (l-r) Stephen Shannon, Larry N. Montague, and Yishai Amir

 

More information about HP Graphic Solutions is available online. 

 

More information on TAPPI is also available online.  

 

There are two types of people in our industry—TAPPI members and those who should be.

Until next time.............Larry