As print service providers continue to manage increasingly complex applications, the ability to connect printing, finishing, and mailing into a streamlined production workflow has become more important than ever. For Spire, based in Peabody, Massachusetts, this need was a key driver behind its investment in Tecnau technology.
In a recent interview with Printing Impressions, Rick Dyer, President and Owner of Spire, discussed how the company’s Tecnau solutions are supporting a broader shift in its production environment, helping the business move from a historically sheet-fed workflow toward a more roll-based production model.
Spire’s investment in Tecnau was part of a larger production strategy connected to the installation of a new HP PageWide Advantage 2200 press. While Spire has long relied on digital print technologies, including HP Indigo and HP T-series platforms, the addition of the Advantage line made it clear that the company needed to further optimize its workflow around roll-fed production.
To support that transition, Spire integrated Tecnau finishing solutions, including the Revolution 50 Stack 5251L cut-and-stack system, along with Tecnau unwinder and rewinder equipment. The goal was to create a more efficient, flexible, and scalable production environment capable of handling the company’s evolving client requirements.
For Spire, choosing Tecnau was also a continuation of a trusted relationship. The company had already been using Tecnau equipment for nearly a decade in connection with its HP T-series production line.
Rick Dyer highlighted several reasons why Tecnau remained the right finishing partner: strong technical support, local proximity, and the ability to provide solutions for a wide range of substrates and finishing requirements. As Spire evaluated its options, Tecnau’s combination of experience, responsiveness, and application flexibility made it the natural choice.
One of the key examples discussed in the interview involved a major client that required a long-format sheet of approximately 30 inches, combined with a short fold. The application needed to be cut from the roll, folded, and then knife-folded to optimize the piece for postage and mailing.
With Tecnau’s finishing line, Spire was able to complete this process in a single pass. The sheet is cut from the roll, fed into a buckle folder, then into a knife folder, and delivered as a finished piece without additional handling on separate finishing equipment.
This capability helped Spire reduce labor, eliminate multiple production steps, and respond effectively to a specific customer need.
Spire’s production needs are not limited to one application or one type of customer. The company serves many clients with different formats, run lengths, substrates, and mailing requirements.
The Tecnau line gives Spire the ability to cut, stack, and fold directly from the roll, depending on the job. Rick also mentioned a heavy-substrate project using 16-point stock coming off the HP Advantage line, where the Tecnau system would be used to cut and stack the output before downstream finishing.
This flexibility is central to Spire’s approach: handle the product less, streamline the process, and connect finishing technologies in ways that improve overall efficiency.
Spire is especially proud of its expertise in highly data-driven, personalized print. With more than 25 years of digital production experience, the company understands how to manage the full process, from data integration and personalization through printing, finishing, folding, and entry into the mail stream.
Some of Spire’s personalized runs can reach extremely high volumes, including projects of up to 20 million pieces. For these applications, success depends not only on print quality, but also on engineering the right end-to-end production workflow.
Tecnau’s finishing technology plays an important role in helping Spire create those optimized workflows and deliver efficient solutions for demanding client applications.
Spire’s story shows how the right finishing technology can help print providers increase flexibility, reduce handling, support complex applications, and build more efficient roll-fed production workflows.
Watch the full interview with Rick Dyer of Spire and Printing Impressions to hear more about Spire’s production strategy, its partnership with Tecnau, and how the company is using Tecnau solutions to support its continued growth.