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 company’s strong presence at the show and its latest developments in finishing technology.
“Day two — you survived the first day,” Wayne begins.
Larry smiles. “Yes, we did. It was very busy all day long. We haven’t seen a show of this size and magnitude in 10 or 15 years. This is what the old Chicago show used to be — and it’s great to see Printing United building that same kind of momentum.”
Rollem International, known for its precision slitting, scoring, and perforating systems, showcased an impressive lineup of new equipment at the show. “We’ve always been known for card slitting and paper converting,” Larry says, “but now we have two or three completely new models — the kind of machines we’ve dreamed about for years. They’re modular, so a printer can start small, say on a 13x19 format, and later expand into B2 just by adding modules.”
That modularity, combined with faster changeovers, is opening Rollem’s technology to a broader audience. “We’ve always appealed to large-volume users,” Larry explains, “but now, with quick changeovers and more flexible setups, we can serve short- and medium-run printers too.”
Wayne brings up the company’s success with the Insignia die-cutting line. “Insignia’s been out maybe six to eight years now,” Larry says, “and it’s been a huge success. It gives printers tremendous flexibility — they can move into decals, packaging, boxes — all kinds of new applications. It’s been very well received by the print community.”
Rollem has also long dominated the playing card market. “We pioneered that space,” Larry says. “We have a very strong market position, and we’re introducing new systems there as well. But beyond that niche, we’re expanding to broader applications like postcards, greeting cards, and business cards — jobs that appeal to many more printers.”
Another highlight at the booth is the Streamline System. “It’s the platform that lets us build out scalable finishing lines,” Larry explains. “You can start with two pieces, add more, and run different jobs at once — postcards and business cards simultaneously, for example. It’s a clever, efficient setup.”
Also drawing attention is Rollem’s new folding and gluing line. “It’s compact, attractively priced, and still delivers the performance of much larger systems,” Larry says. “It can run up to 48,000 boxes an hour — and it’s running live here at the show.”
Talking about Rollem’s legacy, Larry shares that the company is now in its third generation. “The company’s 63 years old,” he says. “I started working for my dad, and now my two sons are in the business. You could say it’s in our blood.”
Rollem has also been expanding geographically. “We’ve opened a much larger office in Florida,” Larry adds. “It includes parts, service, sales, and a full demo floor — joining our Midwest office outside Chicago and our headquarters in Anaheim, near Los Angeles.”
Wayne wraps up with a smile: “It sounds like things are going really well.”
Larry nods. “They are. It’s been a great show so far — and we’re just getting started.”
