When Joseph Hernandez purchased ASAP Printing from his employer in 1994, one of the first things he did was sell off the printing presses and change the name—and the focus—of the business. “There were so many traditional printers in the market,” says Joseph, “and I recognized that our highest margin was on banners.”

The Paramount, California, business became ASAP Sign Co, and for more than a decade they have grown by focusing on high-quality signs, banners, and posters. Joseph credits his purchase in April of a Toucan LT from Mutoh with contributing to ASAP Sign’s recent growth.

“We offer a diverse range of services,” explains Joseph, “from illuminated channel letters and monument signs to banners, posters, and vehicle graphics and wraps. A growing percentage of our sales now comes from digital work. Even simple banners, which would traditionally be cut vinyl, we’ll often print on the Toucan LT because it’s so much faster.”

Of course, speed is only one of the benefits of the Toucan, and Joseph’s customers take advantage of all of them. “We do quite a bit of work with the cities of Paramount and Lakewood, such as street banners for holidays and concerts in the park. It makes a world of difference to be able to print full color images instead of just cut vinyl.”

When considering a large format printer, Joseph originally looked at Mutoh’s Toucan. After doing some online research, he decided the Toucan LT offered the best value, including all of the features he was looking for: Simple to calibrate and operate, high quality, fast printing and drying, and the ability to print on banner, vinyl, clear film, and cloth media.

Simplicity in particular is important to Joseph. “I believe in hiring from around our neighborhood, so I have many young workers, high school and just out of high school. After a couple weeks training they can operate the Toucan themselves.”

Of course, having some cool jobs in the shop helps keep those young workers motivated. The team at ASAP Sign recently used the Mutoh to spell out rapper Eminem’s name in 6-foot illuminated letters as the backdrop for the performer’s local concert.

Though his business is going strong, with a 22,000 square foot facility, two bucket trucks, and a 100-foot crane, Joseph plans to keep expanding. His next purchase? A Mutoh Toucan LT board printer, for printing on rigid media.

To learn more about ASAP Sign Co, visit their website at asapsignco.com