Meet Kyle, Vice President of Operations

A graduate of Oregon State University with a dual degree in Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Kyle started at DisplayStar in 2006 operating the first printer we had and developing our baseline finishing processes. 

Since then he has learned to dial in color profiles for all the printers, been involved in sewing techniques for different products, and taught finishing and graphic mounting skills to new employees.

Now as VP of Operations, Kyle oversees all the day-to-day operations of the printing, sewing and display assembly.  He works with all the customer service, graphic artists and production teams.  It’s a lot like directing traffic on the 405. 

Design & Production Under One Roof

Here’s what Kyle thinks:

Nowadays, it is a rarity to have design and production under one roof. We are really proud to be located in Beaverton, Oregon. This past year, we have tripled our square footage to accommodate the investment we have made in large format printers and sewing machines including a new automated sewing system for silicone edge graphics.

DisplayStar is unique because we have the capacity to get big jobs done in a timely manner, yet we are small enough to get to know our customers and their needs on an individual basis.

Our mission is to do what is best for our customers. We have the expertise to spot potential problems and we work with the customer to find solutions. By bringing everything in-house, we have better quality control.

It’s an exciting and fast-paced industry. I really enjoy the challenge of keeping up. You never know what’s next. Typically, displays feature a company’s latest innovation so it’s fascinating to see their ideas coming through production.

In addition, displays themselves are rapidly evolving with new products and materials every day. To think it was not that long ago when displays were men in curtained booths with hand-lettered signs on tripods.

I appreciate the opportunity I’ve had to travel abroad to ensure quality products from our suppliers and participate in creating new products. I’m constantly reviewing new materials and evaluating new and improved ways to produce our products.

Displays Feature a Company’s Latest Innovations

Teamwork Begins with the Morning Meeting

Kyle’s driving motivation is to meet the customer’s tight deadlines with high quality products.  Every morning, he co-spearheads with the production manager, a production meeting to review all projects. 

It’s an opportunity for everyone to get together and cast a safety net for the customer.  This way nothing is in danger of slipping through the cracks, and the team troubleshoots any foreseen problems with workflow, deadlines, and logistics, for example.

Once the artwork has been approved, the production process begins by setting a ship date and getting the work into the appropriate print queues depending on the type of material.  For fabric, DisplayStar uses their own signature printing process on Mamaki dye-sublimation printers. 

The artwork is printed on paper then transferred to fabric using heat and pressure to permanently infuse the graphics into the fabric.  The result is the most stunning, vibrant colors and sharp contrast with high resolution HD 1080.  It is the best resource for reproducing the fine detail and complex tones of any photographic image.

Continuous Inspection Ensures Top Quality

During printing, all graphics, fabric, vinyl and laminated, are continuously inspected for defects. The final production steps vary depending on the type of material.  

For fabric, it’s sewing; for vinyl banners, it’s cutting and mounting; and for the laminated booth graphics, it’s cutting and adding the magnets and header/kicker strips.  

For final inspection, the display is set up.  Once approved, it is photographed, packed then shipped.