PLASTICPRINTERS.COM
In 1996, 19-year-old entrepreneur Luke Lingle sensed an opportunity in the newly emerging business of custom plastic card printing. Acquiring the equipment to start, Lingle launched Custom Plastic Printers, in his family’s Cottage Grove, Minnesota home.
Luke’s goal was to print the highest quality cards in the shortest time possible to meet customer demand. The young company’s reputation for customer service and quality grew as did its customer base. The firm quickly outgrew the family home finding it necessary to purchase its first building.
AMERICA BEGINS IT'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH PLASTIC CARDS
Custom printed Plastic Discount and Gift Cards coupled with the growth of point of sale software changed forever the way retailers do business and the company seized on that change. Previously, many a well-intentioned gift certificate had fallen victim to the washing machines rinse cycle before ever having the chance to be redeemed. Custom printed plastic cards were clearly the wear resistant solution. New markets and applications for these cards continued to expand.
While plastic cards were quickly becoming a part of our daily life, the Internet was beginning to gain acceptance as a new way of doing business. Lingle easily made the decision to utilize this new and innovative business tool launching the company’s first website www.plasticprinters.com in 1997. The site gained immediate acceptance because of its graphic intensity and innovative on-line quoting ability. Because of the sites immediate success the decision was made to change the company’s name to Custom Plastic Printers (dba) Plasticprinters.com. Luke’s vision of quality and customer service and this branding decision would change his company forever.
MOVING TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Plasticprinters.com expanded its custom printed plastic card offering as quickly as new applications and uses were created. The company easily moved into the areas of access and key cards for the business, hospitality and government applications, ID and employee identification programs followed. To keep pace with card technology the company continued to expand its value added services in the areas of thermal printing, magnetic stripe encoding, foil stamping and embossing. In 2004 the company expanded its building to facilitate continued growth and the addition of more equipment. During this expansion phase the company increased the size of its graphics department and added direct to plate equipment which increased production efficiencies while at the same time reducing cost.
Looking To the Future
Growing at a steady and consistent rate in early 2008 the company moved into its third new office/production facility. This most recent expansion has allowed for the acquisition of additional presses, further increasing production capacity, the company’s third plate making system, increasing the already industry standard setting turn times of 7-10 days and additional office space allowing the company to strategically add personnel.
As the company has grown Plasticprinters.com has added to its line a complete range of plastic card accessories such as gift card display stands, custom and generic gift card backers, envelopes and gift boxes as well as a full line of desktop plastic card printers for companies and organizations that have on-demand applications and they need cards immediately. Plastic business cards are also another area Plasticprinters.com has been at the forefront of. In today’s competitive market custom printed plastic business cards make an incredible first impression.
A Clear Vision
As the Plasticprinters.com looks to the future Luke continues to embrace his original Vision;
"To produce the highest quality product
While maintaining the finest customer service."
Plasticprinters is not only in the business of printing custom plastic cards for a wide variety of clients and industries, but also prides itself on developing lasting relationships with its world-wide base of clients.
When you think Plastic Cards, Think
