This October, Rommel KG, based in Lauingen an der Donau, will be able to look back on a successful twenty-year company history. For two decades, Peter Rommel has established his company as a complete service provider in the field of advertising technology, and today exclusively relies on large-format solutions from Mimaki for printing. His clients include not only smaller local businesses and enterprises but also well-known brand manufacturers who no longer want to do without the direct and personal support, or the convincing quality of the prints they order.
Owner, Peter Rommel, employs a tried-and-tested, albeit initially unconventional concept in his company: In an environment where it is often assumed that no business can succeed and remain profitable without a significant degree of automation, he relies exclusively on direct customer interaction, the value of his products, and the extensive know-how of his team.
"As a smaller advertising technology company with a team of six individuals, each of whom is a master of their craft from the ground up and to perfection, investing heavily in automating our workflow or even maintaining and operating an online store simply doesn't make sense," explains Peter Rommel. "As a complete solutions provider, we essentially offer a vast array of products that are so comprehensive and individualised that attempting to showcase them in an online store would require an excessive amount of effort. Such a concept would not be suitable for us and our customer structure. Instead, I personally know each and every one of our customers. We maintain direct contact, often built on mutual trust through longstanding business partnerships. New customers find us through platforms like Facebook and Instagram or through the proven method of word of mouth, which occurs naturally due to our numerous successfully completed projects and orders. We enter the market solely with our name and customer feedback – and we have been doing so successfully for two decades now."
A complete solutions provider with aspirations
The range of products offered by Peter Rommel‘s company covers the entire spectrum of traditional advertising technology, ranging from embroidered work clothing to the design of custom graphics, illuminated facade advertising, and mounted printing. However, the central focus of the company is clearly printing. For this purpose, there are two Mimaki UCJV300-160 UV-LED roll-to-roll printers with integrated cutting functions and RasterLink RIP software available in Lauingen. Their versatility caters to the diverse portfolio of passionate advertising technicians, enabling high-quality production and creative work.
The machine setup is complemented by additional cutting plotters from Mimaki and Summa. Peter Rommel became aware of Mimaki systems through a former colleague who, after working in advertising technology, now serves as an application specialist at Mimaki. Since then, he has benefited from the numerous advantages of the all-around UV printer and cutting plotter, which he acquired from Mimaki dealer, Modico Graphic Systems. He is thoroughly convinced by the reliable UV-LED systems.
"Thanks to the positive characteristics of the UV inks used, we can print on a wide variety of media, and the system allows us to transition quickly to the next step of our work. The extensive range of possible applications and functionalities perfectly aligns with our broad product range," summarises the owner with satisfaction.
Although the past three years were shaped by the pandemic, which posed significant challenges for many advertising technicians due to the absence of trade fairs and events, Peter Rommel managed to expand his business during this period. "From a business standpoint, the entire pandemic was more of a blessing than a curse for us. We witnessed how many colleagues focused on trade fair construction or furniture saw their orders vanish overnight. However, due to our broad product range, we had the advantage of having sufficient alternatives and opportunities to pivot our business in other areas during this period," Peter Rommel explains.
"We heavily rely on film technology, work extensively in the automotive sector, execute facade advertisements, and banners, and process the entire spectrum of typical digital printing media. Additionally, we are also active in LED technology. We have greatly benefited from this strategic approach during this time," he adds, outlining his diverse product portfolio. "You can never predict in advance which sector will grow or decline. Yet, up until now, at the end of each fiscal year, our balance sheet has been positive. The broad range of products provides a balanced mix that helps successfully offset any lows in a particular business area. Through our positioning, we were able to cushion every downturn adequately – an invaluable advantage in these unpredictable times."
In addition to the numerous smaller businesses and craft enterprises that often commission the design and production of their advertising spaces, Peter Rommel also serves several well-known brand manufacturers as his clients. For instance, a major tractor manufacturer, Deutz-Fahr, is among his customers. Rommel produces and installs prints spanning entire exhibition halls within tensioned frame systems for this client. According to Rommel, these are project-specific orders that quickly add up to several hundred square metres in size.
Furthermore, Rommel Werbung (advertising) also equips around 80 stations of a large petrol station chain with attached convenience stores and beverage markets, providing them with their monthly changing poster advertisements. There are also several other renowned retail chains that Rommel serves. “We are the best-performing supplier in our region. Our regular catchment area extends from Augsburg to Ulm, but due to our chain store clientele, our reach stretches from Lake Constance to Würzburg and from Stuttgart to Munich,” Peter Rommel explains.
Recently, Peter Rommel was able to win over a renowned electronics manufacturer from the region with his reliability and know-how. He now supplies all the necessary prints for two locations of the corporation. This includes everything from small parking signs that need replacement due to sun fading to massive 20 x 10-metre prints within tensioned frames. Over the years, Peter Rommel has learned: "Once you are listed as a supplier, it creates an enormous commitment. If you consistently deliver good work, you earn a certain level of trust and can look forward to a long-term customer relationship."
Remain innovative and open-minded
Creativity is an invaluable prerequisite for long-term success in the field of advertising technology. This is why Peter Rommel consistently introduces new products and solutions into the company's portfolio. "We advertising technicians are easily excited about innovations. We observe the market, participate in many forums, frequently come across intriguing novelties, and regularly ask ourselves whether a specific application would be attractive to our company and customer base," explains Peter Rommel.
One innovation that the entrepreneur is currently exploring is switchable film. With a click, this film changes from transparent to an opaque frosted glass appearance. According to Peter Rommel, this product is relatively new to the market and is currently in high demand. Additionally, since the manufacturer claims that the film can be printed on, this presents a new and exciting playground for creative ideas for Peter Rommel, from which his customers can benefit in the future.
Organic growth
Looking towards the future, the focus at Rommel Werbetechnik is clearly on expansion, but with a sense of proportion. Plans include the addition of more systems from Mimaki, including another UV printer and possibly one of the new DTF printers when they are available. To ensure capacity utilisation, share the investment costs, and address space requirements, Peter Rommel is pursuing a collaboration with a friendly company from the region. According to Peter Rommel, there is not a strong sense of competition among advertising technicians in the region. Each person focuses on their strengths and occasionally seeks support from others.
"My goal is to further expand the printing sector. My colleague shares the same vision, so we have decided to combine our expertise and jointly drive this segment forward," Peter Rommel concludes.
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