In an interview with PrintWeek, Tukaiz vice president and managing director Frank Defino Jr. suggested the company has been fortunate in that many of its direct-to-consumer clients in the retail, restaurant, insurance and entertainment industries have been doing well despite the struggling economy and are therefore more willing to diversify to print programs that include QR codes and personalized URLs that tie back to online and social media.

"Those verticals seem to be doing quite well and therefore they are always coming to us with ideas of doing things that are different than the old ways," he added. "Maybe it's a bit more efficient or has a bit of an environmental component, but it allows them to market themselves in different, more streamlined ways."

Privately-held Tukaiz relies primarily on Heidelberg Speedmaster presses for sheetfed off-set work on both paper and plastic and HP Indigos for digital.

Defino noted: "It's not uncommon for us to have a large piece of equipment in the flat-bed or roll-fed area and in a year-and-a-half's time be trading it in for the next greatest thing to come out because it's faster and it has better quality."

Tukaiz is able pull the trigger on new equipment, having recently become one of only three US printers to bring in a Scodix printer after seeing it showcased at September's Graph Expo. "We using it in a lot of POP and our clients love it because it brings a different sort of look and you can feel it and touch it," Defino said.

But for 2012, Defino said most of the company focus will be on software and application development, adding, "Because software application development will drive those presses and drive those output devices."

That includes the company's Backstage offering that enables clients to create and manage multi-channel campaigns though any web browser. "Franchises can create and manage campaigns differently on the East Coast and West Coast, while also keeping some structure so that corporates can measure the results of campaigns, see what's left in inventory and sees who's ordering what," Defino said. "We work with corporate and their distributors and franchisees to make sure it's a win-win for everybody."