Big Visual Group Goes Bigger

At last year’s PRINTING United Expo, Durst proudly announced that Nashville, Tennessee-based Big Visual Group had purchased a P5-TEX iSUB direct dye-sublimation printer. While the purchase and the technology are certainly interesting, what is perhaps more interesting is the thinking and strategy behind Big Visual Group’s decision.

Scott Snoyer, owner, Big Visual Group

Scott Snoyer, owner, describes Big Visual Group as being a diverse graphics producer operating out of a 40,000 sq. ft. facility. “We do a lot of sports and special events,” he adds, noting that the company’s clientele includes teams in the National Football League, the National Hockey League, arena football, and baseball. To meet the needs of its clients, the company produces banners, retail and transit signage, fleet graphics, and fabric structures.

A Significant Purchase

Asked about the purchase of the P5-TEX iSUB, Snoyer says Big Visual Group has been doing dye-sublimation work for roughly ten years, and “every time we purchased, we’ve stepped up in quality and speed.” He says the company’s previous dye-sub unit was five years old and due to be replaced. Among the company’s “wants” for the machine were better print quality, more speed, and better ease-of-use, which he says makes the shop more efficient and makes using the equipment “easier on the operator.”

Large banners are a key event element for Big Visual Group.

The equipment purchase, Snoyer says, was known and planned before last year’s PRINTING United Expo. He says the primary reason he went to the 2023 Atlanta event was to see the P5-TEX iSUB, which he had not yet seen up-close. In keeping with the equipment investment, he says he also took time to visit fabric suppliers to see which had fabrics appropriate for direct dye-sublimation.

About Durst, the OEM of choice for this equipment purchase, Snoyer says, “I just like the company. With Durst, it’s easy to be friends.” He adds that this friendly relationship extends beyond the sales cycle and into service and operation.

A Broader View

Snoyer says the company’s current lineup of production equipment includes two Durst machines, three HP latex printers, two smaller Epson printers, a flatbed from DigiTech, and an additional flatbed from Digital Color Systems that is used to produce raised ink graphics, such as braille. Snoyer adds that the ability to produce braille is mandatory for ADA sign production, which is an essential aspect of producing signage for new construction. A new Summa laser cutter was recently added for fabrics, thus speeding production.

About the annual PRINTING United Expo, Snoyer says, “I do think it’s a great event.” He says he generally does not go every year because, amid all the new technologies on display, he may be tempted to replace a system sooner than he needs to. One of his goals, he shares, is to keep machines running for five years or longer. Because of this, he wryly says the Expo can be “a dangerous place to go.” He says that while he has not yet decided to attend this year’s PRINTING United Expo in Las Vegas (September 10-12), he hopes to be there. Here’s to seeing Scott in the Expo aisles!