Microdynamics Group: Growing Business with Technological Leadership
Microdynamics Group (Naperville, IL) is a world-class transactional print and mail resource company that has more than quadrupled in growth since 2006. Through acquisitions but primarily through organic growth as well as continued investments in new technologies like high-speed inkjet, the company increased its revenues from $25 million in 2006 to over $100 million in 2013.
In 1974, Chairman and CEO Thomas Harter, Sr. founded Microdynamics as a provider of computerized microfiche processing services. Since then, the company has evolved into one of the nation’s fastest-growing print service providers. It delivers personalized transactional printing, inserting, and mailing services to companies across a number of industries, including insurance, utilities, banking and financial services, and collections.
Microdynamics’ road map for rapid growth began with the acquisition of MetroGroup Transaction Services (MTS) in 2008. Harter elaborates, “MTS managed, produced, and distributed sensitive and recurring business-critical documents to millions of consumers and businesses on behalf of financial service companies, credit unions, collection agencies, utility companies, insurance agencies, and other companies that require accurate, sensitive document production with on-time delivery. The combination of Microdynamics and MTS brought together two of the leading transactional printing companies in the U.S. and firmly positioned us as one of the premier operators in the industry.”
“Customers want to engage this new technology because they are impressed by the quality and turnaround times that we provide.”
Thomas Harter, Jr.,
President of Microdynamics
In 2010, Microdynamics acquired ProSORT Services to round out the suite of solutions to include presort services. Beyond these acquisitions, Microdynamics grew organically through a commitment to remain current and cutting edge. Thomas Harter, Jr., President, states, “Beginning with our transformation from archiving to distribution of data, we’ve listened to our customers’ needs early on and transformed with market conditions. We were the first in the transaction space for color printing, and we were also early with our e-statement platform.”
Microdynamics was also the first company of its kind to invest in composition software to enhance the graphics, highlight color, and data-driven personalized marketing messages into customers’ printed and electronic documents. The pre-composed documents then flow into the company’s all-Canon Solutions America production workflow powered by its Océ PRISMA® workflow platform.
This past December, the company installed its second Océ ColorStream 3900 digital color printing system in just over a year. Shortly after acquiring its first Océ ColorStream 3900, Microdynamics was so impressed with the device that it purchased a second one right off the trade show floor at PRINT 13 in Chicago this past September. In addition to Microdynamics’ arsenal of high-volume print engines, the Océ ColorStream device makes the company a 100% Canon Solutions America shop.
The quality, flexibility, speed, and efficiency of the inkjet production systems have played an important role in the continued growth at Microdynamics. “These devices are a major value-add for us,” Harter Jr. explains. “Clients can see firsthand that we’ve embraced new technologies, and we’re re-investing to help them profit also.”
Harter Jr. attributes much of his company’s recent growth to its customers’ decisions to outsource transaction printing to Microdynamics. He explains, “Customers want to engage this new technology because they are impressed by the quality and turnaround times that we provide. In addition to becoming a partner for these customers in terms of production capabilities, we’ve helped our clients ease their responsibilities for regulatory compliances, reduce errors, and keep up with constantly changing postal requirements.”
A key driver of Microdynamics’ success is its focus on being a customer-lead organization. “Larger competitors want to fit customers into a box, but we take a different approach,” Harter Jr. notes. “We strive to accommodate our clients’ needs, rather than the other way around.”
A partnership with Canon Solutions America has enabled Microdynamics to become more flexible and remain a technological leader. Harter Jr. concludes, “We consider Canon Solutions America part of our family now. Our clients are the future of our company, and we can take Canon’s quality and commitment to us and pass it on to our clients.”