Printwear & Promotion The Total Promotional Package
Ash Mediratta, managing director at Kustomized, explains how Roland DG helped him see that market opportunities in the creative industry have never been bigger.
Having worked in the IT industry for more than 15 years, Ash decided to change career into something that was more creative, after plenty of research he decided to enter the print and personalisation industry.
In 2009, Ash launched his new business, Kustomized, catering for the print and engraving industries, specialising in both bespoke and branded clothing prints, sportswear and personalised accessories, as well as engraved trophies and gift items.
Ash knew that he needed a reliable machine to help him get his business off the ground and so after much research he invested in a Roland DG Metaza MPX-80 Engraver. The predecessor to the MPX-90 Impact Engraver, it was the perfect tool for the newly established business, engraving onto a whole host of materials including titanium and stainless steel. The compact, high-speed imprinting device enabled the business to create bespoke logos, detailed lettering, illustrations and photos from a laptop and then engrave onto a range of products including small gift items, trophies and medals.
Second investment needed
As demand for premium engraved products increased, Ash looked to invest in a second engraving machine and came across the Roland DG EGX-360 Desktop Engraver. Larger and faster than the MPX-80, the desktop engraver enabled the business to batch produce engraved trophies and awards, increasing productivity and subsequently boosting profits.
Ash said: “As the business developed and the number of orders we received grew on a weekly basis, we knew we needed to invest in a second machine. Larger in size, the EGX-360 allowed us to produce larger gift items, trophies and awards at high-speed to ensure we could service the large volume of orders. In addition to this, the EGX-360 could engrave onto glass and crystal. This additional offering helped us to stand out from the competition in the area and we found the business continued to grow at a rapid pace.”
To cater for the print element of his product line, Ash also invested in a Roland DG VersaCAMM VP-300 printer/cutter. The wide format print and cut machine provided Kustomized with an integrated print solution to produce high-quality stickers, labels and decals. Ash also purchased a Roland DG GX-24 Vinyl Cutter to maximise his productivity capabilities.
Ash said: “Roland DG’s versatile and integrated technology allowed us to exploit two different markets with ease. It was clear almost immediately after purchase that our Roland DG machines were reliable, highly effective and could help us unlock the true profit-making potential of both print and cut and engraving technology.”
Fully exploit
In 2012 Kustomized then acquired Spondon Trophies, a major player in the trophy and engraving business in Derby and across the Midlands, allowing Ash to fully exploit both the print/embroidery and trophy /engraving industry to his best potential.
Ash’s determination to capitalise on the latest applications led him to once again explore ways in which he could diversify his product range and he invested in a Roland DG VersaUV LEF-20 desktop printer. The highly profitable machine prints directly onto virtually any substrate and offered both businesses a highly effective personalisation offering without a costly set up.
Ash added: “To make sure we were one step ahead of the competition, we knew we needed to offer something new and exciting and VersaUV technology was exactly what we needed to take our business to the next level.
“Each Roland DG machine we have purchased has been bought with a specific requirement in mind, however, you quickly realise that each machine offers so many other uses. Roland DG has given us the opportunity to tap into many, many markets, with the commercial applications achievable unlimited.”
