BC&B Graphics ups the ante with second Colter & Peterson PRISM paper cutter

Look around Philadelphia and areas throughout New Jersey and chances are good you’ll find BC&B Graphics’ work. The Pennsauken, NJ full service printer is the go-to source for high profile customers, and they also perform on the national stage for prominent casino clients. Playing at that level requires the best, which is why they went all-in for a second time with another reconditioned 45” PRISM® paper cutter from Colter & Peterson.

Company president Bill Eachus, Jr. said installation was completed last week without a hitch. The newest paper cutter replaced a similar size Lawson unit, and the first PRISM took the place of an older Polar machine that was swapped out in 2012.

“Colter & Peterson has serviced our paper cutters for years. When it came time to replace the Polar, they gave us a nice offer to upgrade our machine,” remarked Eachus. He co-owns the company, which was founded by partner Randy Gilbert in 1988 and also does business as ARG/BC&B Graphics. The company today employs 28 people and operates from a 24,000 square-foot facility not far from the Delaware River.

“The PRISM has updated Microcut® electronics and other features that make it a special machine,” continued Eachus. “We really like its accuracy and the speed of the cycles is a difference maker. We run two shifts, 12 hours a day for two weeks every month. These cutters are used on everything we produce, so with the faster speed we have increased our production by 20 percent. That’s huge for us.”

The press room is first-class and features a trio of 40” Heidelberg presses, including a 6-color with tower coater, and 4-color and 2-color units. There is a mix of 2- and 4-color Ryobi presses, all with envelope feeders, plus a 5-color press with coater.

“We do a good amount of work on heavy to light substrates, and on coated stock when necessary,” says Eachus about postcards, booklets and other printed material. He proudly shows pieces of work done for the Philadelphia Eagles and Philadelphia Flyers, local museums and performing arts centers, and for Rutgers University and other local colleges.

But the lion’s share of BC&B Graphics’ work is performed for a variety of casinos that operate in 30 states. Partnering with a local company, they also handle all of the mailing responsibilities to the casino companies’ customer databases. A personalized, match-mailing scenario creates a lucrative niche.

“We print a lot of different things and a good portion of them are up to 250,000 pieces,” reflects Eachus. “It extends from high-end personal invitations to postcards and calendars. That’s where we use the new 5-color Ryobi with gloss and dull, and foil stamping and embossing. We produce a lot of newsletters, and the 16-page booklets with soft touched coating require personalization.

“We also design and produce boxes for promotional items. A recent project we did was a thick item with etched Plexiglas. We use the PRISM cutters to cut all of this work. The Microcut electronics include a programmable touch screen that memorizes all of the cutting sequences. Along with the skill levels of our four operators, that’s why we are more productive.”