1991 – The Beginning

Our story began in 1991 when Graphic Innovators (GI) was founded. GI specialized in the repair and complete rebuilding of commercial printing and packaging machinery and a wide variety of support equipment for companies around the world. From the ground up, GI rebuilt old, worn-out, obsolete equipment using the latest mechanical and electronic technology and control systems. The remanufactured equipment could be shipped and installed by GI, making the whole process turnkey. Upon completion, all equipment was like new and included a one-year, full parts and labor warranty. Dealing with hundreds of equipment manufacturers and seeing the inner workings of machinery and equipment gave GI a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience. The process allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the design and functionality of equipment at a granular level.

 

The Insurance Claims Market

In response to our reputation as a world leader in the equipment rebuilding industry, we began receiving calls from insurance carriers seeking our advice and assistance with machinery and equipment claims. Our work in the insurance industry began expanding rapidly as a result of our first-class consulting and project management services. That expansion and growth led to the opening of our sister company, Lighthouse Consulting to focus exclusively on consulting and project management for machinery and equipment claims. We were often asked by insurance companies to complete repairs, which we did, saving hundreds of millions of dollars in replacement costs and business interruption expenses. 

 

2013 – The Consulting Side Expands

Graphic Innovators acquired Industrial Loss Consultants (ILC), a small machinery and equipment consulting firm, in 2013 and merged Lighthouse Consulting with ILC maintaining the ILC name. With ILC’s business model focusing on machinery and equipment consulting, the acquisition and merger of the two firms was an ideal fit. 

 

2015 – Getting Noticed

Graphic Innovators’ crowning achievement came in 2015 when Amazon approached GI to solve a problem they were having. Amazon wanted to reduce plastic waste by developing a padded mailer that was free of plastic bubble wrap. Bubble wrap mailers were their most common method of shipping products at a cost-effective rate and with the explosive growth in the E-Commerce market, this plastic waste was growing exponentially. 

GI conceptualized, designed, and built a patented curbside recyclable mailer, along with a high-speed machine that produced the product with minimal waste. At over one hundred feet long, the machine is capable of printing multiple colors on multiple rolls of kraft paper, followed by cutting, folding, applying hot melt and tear strips, drying, and delivering finished envelopes in various sizes in a continuous stream, all at a reasonable cost.

The packaging machine captured the attention of a billion-dollar packaging company, which purchased Graphic Innovators in October 2020. Our recyclable padded mailers are now Amazon’s standard, and over a billion have been made to date. In addition to Amazon, several other companies use the same padded mailers to ship their products. After reading this story, tear open your next brown paper Amazon envelope, so you can tell your friends and family all about how that envelope came to be. 

 

Today – Focus on Consulting

Despite many changes over the last decade, our founders, Scott Kiley, and Paul Minasian have retained ownership of Industrial Loss Consultants and continue to lead and grow the firm. Our expertise and unique background set ILC apart from other companies in our industry. We can determine whether or not equipment can actually be repaired based on our extensive experience. This gives us an edge in the market, allowing us to confidently recommend the most appropriate course of action for potential repair or replacement. We have a comprehensive understanding of the equipment, its components, and the repair process, allowing us to accurately diagnose and troubleshoot complex issues. This makes us well-suited to identify the most cost-effective solution for our customers, ensuring that they are getting the maximum value for their money. As a result of this expertise, ILC can project manage a loss site in a cost-effective manner and present warranty alternatives, if necessary. With a deep understanding of the intricacies of equipment and its components, combined with the expertise to accurately diagnose and troubleshoot, our team is well-equipped to identify the most cost-efficient solutions for our customers. Thus, we can provide a complete package of services, from project managing loss sites to presenting warranty options, at the most reasonable cost.