About TPI - The Printer, Inc. About TPI – The Printer, Inc.
A dominant force in commercial Printing since 1973, With a heavy focus on the gaming industry since 2002.
TPI was founded in Des Moines, Iowa in 1973 as a commercial printer. We have had a long, successful journey – spending every year working hard and investing in the latest technologies to ensure we have the best products for our clients.
Below are a few highlights of our or road to becoming the largest direct mail vendor in the casino industry.
In 1973, William and Donna Benskin founded TPI in Des Moines, IA as the state’s premier commercial printer. With only two original employees, TPI had to hit the ground running. Fast forward to today, TPI has approximately 200 full-time employees on staff.
In 1977, TPI installed one of Iowa’s first 4-color presses. This installation doubled the speed of production, and allowed customers to see the completed jobs in real time.
In 1978, TPI began producing color make-ready’s to ensure proper color density, proportion, and image placement. Shown in the picture is one of the original TPI employees manually running the Densitometer on a color make ready for Artistic Manufacturing, who remains one of our loyal customers 35 years later.
As the demand for large-volume 4-color printing continued to rise, TPI understood the need to grow with that demand. As a result, in 1980, TPI installed a 28” 4-color press, a 6-color web press, and new finishing equipment to increase the speed of production and offer new templates for print collateral.
In 1985, TPI became known as a technology-driven printer through the development what was called “Computer Aided Print Systems.” Through this innovative approach to data management, electronic customer orders were transmitted through telephone lines to on-site modems at TPI. This eliminated the need to manually file and input data, and drastically lowered costs and production time.
One of TPI’s earlier marketing initiatives at the Iowa State Fair in 1987 …Talk about taking a test drive of TPI!
Long before Variable Data Printing became the industry buzz term, TPI was executing what was then called “Database Publishing.” In 1989, data-driven printing with an unlimited number of versions, comprised nearly 70% of TPI’s business. Through this process, TPI was able to print customized materials based off interests, geographical locations, and varied offers.
In 1989, TPI moved to a larger manufacturing facility in Des Moines to accommodate the expansive growth and new equipment.
In 1990, TPI adopts the Deming Philosophy of Manufacturing and Statistical Process Control, made famous in the book “Out of the Crisis” by W. Edwards Deming. This philosophy preaches the application of science and statistics to manufacturing, rather than viewing it simply as an art or craft. With its core being constant improvements in quality and efficiency through a systemic approach, this principle was embraced by TPI, who became the third company in the US to enter the Total Quality Movement. By offering high-quality, low-cost print, TPI received Iowa’s first ever Quality Award in 1991 and were awarded a CIBA grant to further expand its business.
By 1991, TPI had fully transformed its operating processes through a statistical approach towards high quality and efficiency in manufacturing. Guided by Deming’s Philosophy and market demand for customization, “variability” became the operating credo at TPI, and would propel the company to the forefront of the variable printing industry.
In 2002, TPI put its sights on serving the gaming industry, beginning by serving 4 casinos. Today, TPI serves over 270 gaming brands and continues to grow year after year.