Edifice Rex: Vomela Installs Its First Building Wrap

Printing on or wrapping any surface is not without its challenges, but those challenges reach new heights—figuratively and literally—when the surface to be wrapped is a 14-story building. The Vomela Companies rose to the occasion, as it were, completing a wrap of 3M’s Twin Cities corporate headquarters last summer. Vomela 3M wrap

With its own corporate headquarters in St. Paul, Minn., and almost two dozen locations around North America, The Vomela Companies trace their history back to 1947. John “Jack” Vomela started his career as a printer for Brown and Bigelow, a promotional items company that was founded in 1896 and continues in business today—and still shares office space with Vomela. Jack Vomela launched The Vomela Specialty Co. to print and die-cut Christmas tags. In 1950, the company hired Carlo LaManna to work on the production floor, and LaManna would acquire 20% of the company in exchange for his time and hard work. In the 1980s, LaManna acquired the entire company. Paul Peterson, Vomela’s Director of Operations, takes up the story. “In 1990, the Auth Family purchased the company, as the third family owners,” he said. “At that time, the company realized approximately $3 million in annual revenues. Mainly through acquisition, the company has grown to be a nationwide print and services provider.” Today, the Vomela Companies are a full-service specialty graphics provider with projected 2018 revenues of $285 million, and the company employs more than 1,300 people in 22 cities across the U.S. and Canada. The Vomela Companies specialize in commercial and collateral work, POP and promotional graphics, store décor and retail graphics, event and exhibition graphics, fleet and transit graphics, and RV graphics.Collateral material for the Fairfax County Office for Children Eat and Run

“The Vomela Companies are G7-certified in digital, litho, 3D, dye-sublimation, and screen printing,” said Peterson. “We produce a wide variety of promotional, store décor, event, fleet, OEM, commercial, and transportation graphics. We’re continually looking for companies that complement our offerings and expand our capabilities and capacity, as well as seeking opportunities to enhance the services we provide for our existing customers.” Stadium graphics for Superbowl XLIV.

Customers include many major local and national brands and venues. “You’ll find our work at most major retailers, events, and stadiums, from Best Buy to CVS, NYC Marathon to the Olympics, and in Minnesota Twins and Vikings stadiums,” said Peterson.McCafe graphic printed on stone.

Vomela and 3M have always had a close relationship. In the 1960s and 70s, Vomela—in conjunction with 3M and others—developed a thermal kiss-cutting process that helped drive vinyl graphics to a multi-billion dollar business. (LaManna had declined a 3M buyout offer to keep Vomela a family-owned company.) So when 3M decided to wrap their Maplewood, Minn., headquarters as part of the company’s “Wonder” campaign, they turned to their long-time printing partner. “3M has been a partner for more than 50 years,” said Peterson. “They had confidence in our ability to execute and manage this large-scale, complex project. The fact that we are also based in Minnesota made it even better.”

From concept to installation, the project, which required the east and west sides of the 14-story building to be wrapped, was completed in less than two months. The design was developed by 3M’s design team in consultation with The Vomela Companies’ design and production experts. “The color gradation of the graphic, along with both opaque and tinted glass windows, created interesting challenges,” said Peterson. “Additionally, the 20,000-square-feet of vinyl graphic needed to withstand the summer heat and Minnesota’s icy winter temperatures during its nearly one-year required lifespan on the building.”

So Vomela collaborated with 3M’s materials experts to determine the best substrates and laminates for the job. “The graphic required 100 hours of printing time on an HP Latex 3600 printer, plus laminating, cutting, boxing, and shipping the finished product,” said Peterson. Those materials included 3M Controltac Graphic Film with Comply, 3M Scotchcal Perforated Window Graphic, and 3M Scotchcal Gloss Overlaminate. 

“To create a seamless color fade on a variety of surfaces, we color-matched with sections of the building to create a continuous gradation that eventually disappears into the building,” said Peterson. “We wrapped windows with perforated films to allow for natural light to still get through and to prevent obstructed views from the inside. Using a swing stage—typically used for window cleaning—three shifts of 3M certified installers worked around the clock to complete the job in just four days.”

This is the largest single graphic that Vomela’s St. Paul location has printed to date, and don’t think other present and potential clients weren’t paying attention. “We’ve already been asked by a major retailer, who is a current customer, to review a similar project for their corporate headquarters,” said Peterson. 

The company is always on the lookout for unique projects, and develops its own solutions to tackle those projects. “We’re an active innovator and are continually looking for creative ways to expand our offerings,” said Peterson. “We have applied for 14 patents. One example is the development of a unique display system for trade shows and events. The Klik Display System features lightweight aluminum frames and tension fabric for fast and easy setup.”Megabus fleet graphics.

To get a glimpse of their next project, perhaps keep an eye on the skyline.