If you haven’t visited Repro Products lately... then you don’t know Repro Products
Now that Repro Products is an Autodesk National Reseller and
sells Xerox equipment, many of our customers do not know our background. With a name like Repro Products Inc. (RPI),
newer clients wonder how does that relate to what they do? In 1979, Repro Products started as a
reprographer. In this, our first blog, join
us for a brief walk down memory lane to see what has changed since 1979:
- The Bee Gees were topping the charts and Disco was King
- The Walkman represented the newest “gotta have it” technology
- A gallon of gas cost less than a dollar
In 1979, while nothing was coming between Brooke Shields and her
Calvins, we were selling drafting supplies and were a blue printer. It has been a long time since prints
came out blue. And a lot has evolved at
Repro Products – it’s a good thing, or we would be a footnote to history like
the 8-track tape.
Recognizing the need to change with our customers and technology,
through the years we added products and services to align with advancements
that affected our design and construction clients:
- Our experience as a blue printer provided us with a unique perspective on engineering, architectural and construction industries and facilitated our move from selling drafting angles and tables into selling and supporting Autodesk Software. We have now been an Autodesk reseller for over 20 years and are a Gold Partner and Autodesk Authorized Training Center.
- Although we still do a lot printing for our clients, our print shop’s production services grew to incorporate digital services including managing plan rooms, metadata entry and data mapping.
- Clients wanted to be able to print in their offices and on jobsites. We became one of the South’s largest resellers of wide format equipment and service.
In the last decade there was another shift -- a larger
demand for half-size prints. Although
printed on 11x17” paper, a half-size print requires more expertise from a printer
than producing a regular office document.
Five years ago, we expanded our decades-long affiliation with Xerox and
became a Platinum Xerox Agent providing multi- function and production devices
that support not only our architectural and construction customers’ drawings
but also the office staff and marketing teams (and production printers) from a
wide variety of businesses throughout metro Atlanta.
One part of our business works diligently with our clients
helping them make better BIM (Building Information Modeling) models. The other part still prints 2D plans. As the two worlds become closer and closer in
technology, we changed from just being in architects’ and engineers’ offices to
also being out with our construction clients on their job sites. The experience of being in the field with our
clients, working with them on projects they are trying to win and seeing the
end results of jobs they pushed to make come together, we realized there were
still some important solutions we needed to provide.
One large hole to fill was accurate building
documentation. Our clients need it to
bid a project, plan it effectively, ensure it is being built correctly and to
provide a more complete deliverable to their clients. Everyone knows that as-built drawings are a
myth. And even with BIM-enabled
construction sites, the need to ensure what is being built as it is being built
is important.
We knew that 3D laser scanning was the answer to getting
this vital documentation. When choosing
a 3D laser scanner manufacturer to align with, we needed the technology to be
accurate, easy to use and travel ready.
We partnered with FARO because their scanners fit the needs for both our
own services and our clients. We offer the
FARO line of 3D laser scanners as well as scanning services for those clients
who do not want to do the scanning themselves.
We also rent scanners for those in between.
Just possessing accurate data is not enough, though. We knew we had to own the proper data capture
and use workflow. Receiving data that is
approachable and usable is vital to our clients’ success. For our Autodesk software users, we train on
how to actually use the data in the software.
Our non-design clients receive an accurate 3D image file that lets them
move around, see and measure virtually but with real, accurate data.
So that is 36+ years of evolution in under 800 words! Moving forward, our blogs will be specific to
our lines of business so you can get timely information on just the subjects
that interest you most: Autodesk software, 3D laser scanning, wide format
printing and equipment and Xerox office and production equipment. Check back here weekly to see what’s new.
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