Chicago, Ill. - July 11, 2007 - The
DiTrolio Flexographic Institute (DFI) is about to begin a dynamic new era.
Having built a very successful flexographic training concept during the past 10
years, the school will now expand its reach and curriculum to provide
educational opportunities for more young people interested in a career in
flexography. This action will enable DFI to respond in a positive manner to the
growing number of inquiries from the industry for skilled workers with an
in-depth knowledge of the flexographic process. And that takes money. With
government funding options increasingly limited, owner Vince DiTrolio called
his friends Ron and Katherine Harper to solicit their advice and to assess
alternative methods to increase revenues to fund a more comprehensive program.
The Harpers, known for their passion for flexographic education,
responded with a $50,000 grant to kick-off an aggressive fundraising campaign
for the school. DiTrolio then decided on the naming of "The Ron and Katherine
Harper Flexo Lab" to honor the Harper's commitment to flexographic education.
He hopes to attract other major donor-partners, both converters and suppliers,
to contribute to the ongoing education of future flexographers for the industry
- primarily through scholarship programs. A naming dedication and celebration
date for the flexo lab will be announced soon.
DFI's state-of-the-art, highly acclaimed 2,700 square-foot
flexographic training facility is located about 20 minutes from downtown
Chicago. The lab includes an impressive range of flexographic equipment
including, but not limited to, an 830 Mark Andy three-color press, a four-color
Webtron and a five-color 13" Propheteer with DMS Hot Stamping and Prime UV's on
four print stations. Plus Anderson & Vreeland plate-making equipment, an
Air Trim waste removal system, a BST Promark web inspection system, Rotometric
dies, Action rotary dies, a Harper proofing system and Harper XLT Platinum™
anilox rolls. (For a complete list of equipment, please visit
www.flexotraining.com.)
DiTrolio Flexographic Institute offers a comprehensive 18-week
flexography training program as well as a wide range of shorter customized
courses to train people for jobs in the flexographic printing field. The school
boasts a 100% job placement rate since July 2005 and has had numerous articles
written about the many successes of its student graduates.
For more information on establishing a custom-named scholarship
fund for you or your company, contact Vince DiTrolio at
v_ditrolio@flexotraining.com or 708-343-4334.
About Flexography Flexography (also called surface printing, or
"flexo"), is a method of printing commonly used for packaging. (Packaging is
the fourth largest industry in the U.S.) Typical products printed using
flexography include brown cardboard boxes, flexible packaging including retail
and shopping bags, food and hygiene bags and sacks, flexible plastics, self
adhesive labels, and wallpaper. More than 40 major newspapers now print
flexographically. It's estimated that more than 90% of the items in a grocery
store are printed on a flexographic printing press. Currently flexography is
taking over approximately 7% of the printing industry each year. Already
holding about 50% of the printing market, it's likely that flexography
eventually will be the method used for almost all printed material.
About the DiTrolio Flexographic Institute: The DiTrolio
Flexographic Institute, Inc. was founded to meet the flexographic industry's
need for quality, off-site training to counter the problems of on-the-job
training: wasted production and equipment time, wasted raw materials, and
inconsistent skill sets. The institute offers industry-specific training
seminars for all skill levels - from beginning press operations to advanced
printing applications - and features a state-of-the-art environment where new
press operators and seasoned industry professionals alike can gain hands-on
exposure to printing and finishing processes.
