Associated Food Stores creates durable signage and finds measurable cost savings with REVLAR.Associated Food Stores, Inc. is a cooperatively owned wholesale distributor providing complete warehouse facilities and support services to 600 independently owned supermarkets in an eight-state region.Printing services are among the support offerings Associated Food Stores provides to its members, and the cooperative’s in-house print shop offers a broad spectrum of services, including the printing of advertisements and shelf signs needed in each independent store.The team in the Associated Food Stores print shop is committed to delivering its in-house customers leading-edge, innovative solutions. Steve Nicholes, senior production control specialist, began to try samples of various types of synthetic papers without success until the vendor who installed and serviced the Association’s color copiers recommended Relyco. “The biggest challenge for us had been finding a high-quality paper solution that worked with our equipment, and the recommendation from a trusted vendor really inspired our confidence,” he notes.Nicholes called Relyco to request samples and was impressed with what he found. “Relyco offered a high-quality paper at the right price, and we knew with our first test that REVLAR would work exactly as we needed it to,” he comments. “Plus, Relyco provides excellent customer service. They respond quickly and are always working to meet our needs. I consider them a partner in our business.”Over time, as more and more of Associated Food Store’s independent grocers have tried REVLAR, demand for materials printed on the waterproof paper is increasing. The print shop now stocks REVLAR in its warehouse and materials printed on REVLAR are included among those items that are always available through the on-line ordering system. “Everything that we print on REVLAR is more durable and tear-resistant than anything we printed on traditional paper stock,” Nicholes says. “In the past, store owners were often frustrated when a sign or pop-out they put up in the morning was destroyed by the afternoon. That doesn’t happen with items printed on REVLAR.”For Nicholes, the satisfaction of his internal customers is a huge measure of the print shop’s success. “We always strive to provide the printing services and solutions our customers need to be successful,” he concludes. “We really hit the mark with REVLAR.”To read the complete partner story about how Associated Food Stores is using REVLAR, click here.For more information about Relyco’s durable synthetic paper, visit REVLAR on our website, call us at 800.777.7359, or email us.