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Chief Executive Officer Duane Pekar puts customers and their markets at the heart of the Mark Andy story. \u201cMark Andy manufactures printing presses for the narrow web print and packaging industry,\u201d he says. \u201cOur customers are converters; they take substrates, print on them, and turn them into labels and packaging.\u201d Today, those applications reach far beyond traditional labels, expanding to wrap labels, shrink films, and flexible packaging. And its presses have evolved right alongside them. As Duane puts it: \u201cDon\u2019t think of it as just labels. We\u2019re part of the broader narrow web printing and packaging industry, and that\u2019s where we focus.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Mark Andy journey began almost 80 years ago with founder Mark Andrews, who saw an opportunity to solve local printing challenges and began building machines that ultimately helped shape the industry. What followed was a steady progression from early mechanical equipment to today\u2019s sophisticated, servo-driven platforms built for precision, reliability, and speed. Duane credits that willingness to continually invest as a defining factor in the company\u2019s longevity. \u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of brave decisions made along the way, investing in technology that has really helped shape the industry,\u201d he reflects. One standout milestone remains the Performance Series, a product line that Duane calls \u201cthe standard in label printing today,\u201d capable of printing at 1000 feet per minute and continually evolving to meet customers\u2019 changing needs.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n The business\u2019 commitment to leadership extends to digital technology. Over a decade ago, Mark Andy took another bold step by building its own digital engine, a move that gave it real technology ownership and a true competitive edge with the Digital Series HD product line running at 480 feet per minute with full 1200 DPI resolution. Today, through deep partnerships with Konica Minolta and Domino, the product lineup ranges from entry-level toner presses to mid-tier solutions, high-performance platforms, all in full hybrid configurations. \u201cAbout half of our revenue comes from equipment, while the other half is all about supporting our customers after the sale,\u201d Duane says, highlighting just how much it values long-term relationships.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur support network is one of our biggest strengths, and it\u2019s always growing. Recently, we identified Mexico as a high-growth market and made strengthening our direct presence there a priority. We needed to show our customers we\u2019re here in Mexico to stay. By establishing a dedicated service team, local parts, supplies, and an aftermarket sales structure, we\u2019ve been able to bring proven service models from the US, the UK, and Europe to Mexico. It\u2019s all about showing our commitment to the market and supporting our Mexico customers as they grow.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Customer support remains critical in established markets, where quick response and proactive lifecycle management are business imperatives. Duane outlines a multi-layered service structure that combines round-the-clock phone support across time zones, on-site technical expertise when needed, and preventive service programs. \u201cWe try to offer all of our global customers 24\/7 phone support, and if we can\u2019t help the customer solve the problem over the phone, then we put a technician on a plane to their location,\u201d he explains. Alongside installation and training, scheduled maintenance, and responsive repair capability, that approach ensures machines stay productive throughout their lifecycle.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond keeping presses running, Mark Andy is partnering with their customers to use data to enable smarter production decisions. Its ProWorks Analytics platform, combined with what Duane calls \u201cadvanced customer support,\u201d allows businesses to connect to their machines, analyze performance, and identify opportunities for improvement. \u201cWe help them collect data right off the machines and give them reports as well as views on where their opportunities are for improving,\u201d he explains. \u201cMany of those gains extend beyond the press itself, influencing workflow, scheduling, quality processes, and job planning.\u201d The company\u2019s Mark Andy 360 initiative supports that learning curve, especially for converters transitioning from traditional flexo into hybrid and digital environments. As Duane notes: \u201cWhen you start to run a hybrid press or digital press, it\u2019s transformational, and the things that made you successful in optimizing a flexo press are not the same things.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking ahead, productivity remains a dominant theme. Duane believes industry dynamics, from consolidation to rising brand expectations, are accelerating the need for faster, smarter, and more efficient production. At the same time, many converters are managing aging machinery. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of equipment out there that is old,\u201d he notes, explaining that while reliability has kept older presses operating for decades, today\u2019s technology allows significant consolidation of capacity. \u201cReplacing multiple older presses with a single modern machine can dramatically reduce operating cost, headcount, and complexity while helping businesses navigate ongoing workforce challenges. Many of our customers have told us that they struggle with finding qualified talent to operate their machines,\u201d Duane reveals, highlighting how automation and smarter systems allow high performance with fewer highly skilled operators.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Hybrid technology sits at the heart of the productivity vision. While parts of the industry grew up separating digital printing and offline finishing, Mark Andy has long focused on bringing digital capability and flexo converting together in-line. \u201cWe believe that our Hybrid machines are very much a differentiator,\u201d Duane states. Running high-speed inkjet and flexo processes on a single platform allows converters to capture the quality and agility of digital with the efficiency of in-line converting, reducing steps, time, and cost. \u201cYou kind of get the best of both worlds,\u201d he says. \u201cYou can get all the benefits of digital and flexo and converting all on one machine while you\u2019re in registration.\u201d<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Mark Andy journey<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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