Larry Corwin · President · Rollem Intern...
At Printing United Expo in Orlando, Wayne Beckett from INKISH sits down with Larry Corwin, President of Rollem International, to talk about the companyâs strong presence at the show and its latest developments in finishing technology.
âDay two â you survived the first day,â Wayne begins.
Larry smiles. âYes, we did. It was very busy all day long. We havenât seen a show of this size and magnitude in 10 or 15 years. This is what the old Chicago show used to be â and itâs great to see Printing United building that same kind of momentum.â
Rollem International, known for its precision slitting, scoring, and perforating systems, showcased an impressive lineup of new equipment at the show. âWeâve always been known for card slitting and paper converting,â Larry says, âbut now we have two or three completely new models â the kind of machines weâve dreamed about for years. Theyâre modular, so a printer can start small, say on a 13x19 format, and later expand into B2 just by adding modules.â
That modularity, combined with faster changeovers, is opening Rollemâs technology to a broader audience. âWeâve always appealed to large-volume users,â Larry explains, âbut now, with quick changeovers and more flexible setups, we can serve short- and medium-run printers too.â
Wayne brings up the companyâs success with the Insignia die-cutting line. âInsigniaâs been out maybe six to eight years now,â Larry says, âand itâs been a huge success. It gives printers tremendous flexibility â they can move into decals, packaging, boxes â all kinds of new applications. Itâs been very well received by the print community.â
Rollem has also long dominated the playing card market. âWe pioneered that space,â Larry says. âWe have a very strong market position, and weâre introducing new systems there as well. But beyond that niche, weâre expanding to broader applications like postcards, greeting cards, and business cards â jobs that appeal to many more printers.â
Another highlight at the booth is the Streamline System. âItâs the platform that lets us build out scalable finishing lines,â Larry explains. âYou can start with two pieces, add more, and run different jobs at once â postcards and business cards simultaneously, for example. Itâs a clever, efficient setup.â
Also drawing attention is Rollemâs new folding and gluing line. âItâs compact, attractively priced, and still delivers the performance of much larger systems,â Larry says. âIt can run up to 48,000 boxes an hour â and itâs running live here at the show.â
Talking about Rollemâs legacy, Larry shares that the company is now in its third generation. âThe companyâs 63 years old,â he says. âI started working for my dad, and now my two sons are in the business. You could say itâs in our blood.â
Rollem has also been expanding geographically. âWeâve opened a much larger office in Florida,â Larry adds. âIt includes parts, service, sales, and a full demo floor â joining our Midwest office outside Chicago and our headquarters in Anaheim, near Los Angeles.â
Wayne wraps up with a smile: âIt sounds like things are going really well.â
Larry nods. âThey are. Itâs been a great show so far â and weâre just getting started.â