NAGASA - The Compass - Summer 1998

The Compass Winter 1998
The Compass || Summer 1998

THE Source for Channel Direction in Printing and imaging Distribution

Past, Present, Future:
Olec Corporation

The printing business often seems to be dominated by giants such as Heidelberg, Kodak and Agfa. Yet our industry is also replete with examples of how individuals and their companies can truly make a difference. An excellent example of how small can be better -- as well as one demonstrating the American Dream -- is Olec Corporation.

Lottie and Ernie Ohlig

Lottie and Ernie Ohlig left Germany for Toronto in 1952 . Ernie struggled at various jobs before meeting Harry Parker, the president of Ascor, a pioneer in the printing business. Parker and Ohlig became partners, and together they created the world’s first pulsed xenon lights and the first metal halide ultraviolet exposure lights. These new light sources eliminated the polluting, often deadly carbon arc lamps used to expose plates and film, and offered a safe, reliable, and inexpensive means of obtaining high quality reproduction and superb printing at a reasonable cost.

In 1977, 49-year-old Ernie and oldest son Bert started Olec Corporation with less than $10,000. Ernie Ohlig says, “We had no money, but we had stars in our eyes! Our goal was ambitious. Our motto was ‘Whatever we do, we will become the best and, hopefully, the largest in the world.’”

The Olec success story has several elements. First, the Olec philosophy demands listening to customers and producing the products they want. Today, an estimated 80 percent of all North American printers use Olec lights and controls. Perhaps 50 percent of the world’s major newspapers are printed using plates exposed with Olec lights, and Olec halide lights are the backbone of the demanding printed circuit and electronics industry.

Don and Bert Ohlig

A second important element is family. Today the company includes Lottie and Ernie’s second son, Don Ohlig, who serves as the Olec executive vice president.

The third critical element in the Olec success is the ability to respond to industry trends. In an age when pundits announce the demise of conventional film and plates, Olec is expanding. The company acquired Teaneck to expand its presence in the exposure frame market, as well as Diamond Chase -- a leader in the rapidly growing silk screen market. The latest addition to the Olec family is Stoesser, a major manufacturer of punches, pins, plate benders and register systems.

The key fourth element is participation in NAGASA. Says Don Ohlig: “Olec has long been active in NAGASA and its predecessor organizations. As a customer-focused manufacturer serving the graphic arts industry, we find our relationships with the dealers who sell and service our products are critical to our success. NAGASA gives us the tools and relationships we need to continue serving printers and trade shops well into the 21st century.”