Kustomized explore the full potential of Roland DG

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 personalization industry. In 2009, Ash launched his new business, Kustomized, catering for the print and engraving industries, specializing in both bespoke and branded clothing prints, sportswear and personalized 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.

As demand for premium engraved products increased, Ash looked to invest in a second engraving machine and came across the Roland DG EGX-350 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 – who was now committed to the Roland DG brand, 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 maximize his productivity capabilities.
Commenting on his relationship with Roland DG, Ash said: "Roland DG's versatile and integrated technology allowed us to exploit two different markets (engraving and print) 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."

Shortly after purchasing the VP-300, Ash had attended the Roland DG Academy 'Introduction to Digital Print' course to gain further knowledge of the machine's ability and develop his skills further to succeed in the congested creative industry. The Roland DG Academy is an industry recognized training facility available to businesses and individuals working within the heart of the creative community. The training facility gives delegates the opportunity to gain industry specific knowledge and inspires innovative ideas to help promote business growth.

"After taking the leap into the print industry, I knew I needed to make sure I had the right skill set to succeed in a competitive field that was very different to what I had done in the past. The training course was highly informative and gave me the knowledge and practical experience needed to create and supply products that would help drive profits. After attending the course, I had more confidence to explore new ideas and diversify into new products, and using Roland DG's flexible machines we were able to do so with ease. As ever with Roland DG, the results were faultless - both across our print and engraving products, we very quickly gained a good reputation for service and quality increasing our customer base and turnover"

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 capitalize 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 personalization offering without a costly set up.

"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 realize 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."