Bell and Howell Unlocks a New Era for High-Volume Direct Mail Marketer

High-Volume Direct Mail Marketer Invests in Bell and Howell Producer EVO Inserters, Eliminating Offline Bindery and Unlocking a New Era of Automated Roll-to-Roll Production

Durham, NC — A leading U.S.-based direct mail production provider has completed the installation of multiple Bell and Howell Producer EVO high-volume inserters equipped with fully automated roll-to-roll input. This investment marks a major shift in how high-volume direct mail can be produced – transitioning from traditional offline bindery workflows to a continuous, end-to-end automated inserting environment.

For many mail manufacturers today, rolls are printed, then moved to offline bindery stations where operators unwind, fold, tray, and manually transport materials to inserters. These multiple touch points introduce bottlenecks, labor costs, inconsistencies, and operational risk.

Bell and Howell’s EVO roll system eliminates those failure points.

“With this upgrade, we’re removing an entire layer of offline bindery handling,” said Earle Painter, Automation Solutions President. “Moving to true roll-to-roll production on high-volume inserters means fewer handoffs, fewer carts and pallets moving across the floor, and significantly less labor. It lets users maintain uninterrupted production and achieve a level of inserting efficiency that simply wasn’t possible before.”

The Producer EVO platform brings high-speed transactional inserting capabilities into marketing-mail production—combining speed, integrity, and read-to-print automation with the flexibility marketers need. By integrating roll-fed input directly into inserting, the systems allow for:

  • Elimination of offline bindery steps and the operators, carts, staging areas, and delays associated with them
  • Continuous, high-integrity roll-to-roll workflows with automated Read-to-Print matching
  • Higher productivity and throughput, with fewer points of failure and dramatically lower labor hours
  • New design and production possibilities, including multi-page inserts created inline rather than as separate inserts
  • Reallocation of bindery ownership and maintenance costs into modern, smarter, fully automated inserting systems

Bell and Howell’s advanced automation and integrity controls ensure every piece is matched and verified, supporting the accuracy, security, and compliance required for data-driven marketing programs. The shift to roll-based inserting also reduces material waste and keeps production running continuously for national-scale campaigns.

About Bell and Howell

Bell and Howell delivers innovative automation services and solutions designed to optimize performance and elevate customer experiences.

Our Automation Services are powered by a dedicated team of expert mechatronic engineers, providing comprehensive coverage across North America. With the support of our advanced Integrated 360™ technology, we offer remote diagnostics and repair, automated SmartOps Dispatch™, and round-the-clock technical assistance—ensuring seamless support for thousands of clients across diverse industries.

Our Automated Solutions portfolio features next-generation technology that streamlines workflows and enhances productivity in sectors such as packaging, mail production, e-commerce, retail, medical, and manufacturing. Backed by industry-leading service, we help businesses operate more efficiently and effectively.