Arttex Associates

Founded in 1985, Arttex Associates has been providing sales, marketing and business consulting services to international clients in software, computer graphics, digital imaging, printing, finishing & publishing industries.  Known for its pragmatic approach, coupled with strong operating management skills, Arttex brings to its market research and business strategy a critical understanding of what can be reasonably accomplished by its customers, rather than strategy in a vacuum.  Planning is important, but it is the ability to execute the plan that is important and determines the probability of success.

Our Business

Typical Projects:        

(Detailed results

can be individually discussed )            

• New Technology Evaluation/Introduction
• Partnerships, Funding, Kickoff and Exit Execution
• Startup Sales and Distribution
• International Distribution Development      
  • U.S. to Europe/Pacific Rim
  • Europe/Pacific Rim to U.S.
• Company Turnaround
• Secondary Market Analysis And Evaluation
• Market expertise to guide Patent Infringement legal team - both in support of and against infringement
• Meeting and relationship facilitation

Significant Accomplishments:

• Taught consumable sales force to determine how to maximize sales of electronic equipment to its consumable customer base
• Prepared market research, business plan, product specification and kickoff strategy for a low cost, high quality scanner start-up
• Provided product market evaluation for a small printing technology firm that resulted in a 2nd round of financing of $6.5M
• Prepared and executed alternative sales channel plan that allowed a major international client to test U.S, market for new products that did not fit its traditional sales model
• Researched and wrote major report on Color Management Systems. Sold 50 copies worldwide, above expectations.
• Co-Developed new patented printer technology for direct writing to paper with dry toner. 
• Developed U.S. Kickoff stratey for start-up European systems manufacturers and became President of North American Subsidiary - 2X
• Developed worldwide OEM business for software technology that became the industry standard for its class of product
• Wrote White Paper that introduced new inventory control software benefits to the consumable products distribution business
• Developed and executed company sales & marketing strategy for numerous companies from service to distribution to product manufacturing to dot.com and web.

Resume of Steve Aranoff

Stephen P. Aranoff is founder and principal of ARTTEX Associates and has over 45 years experience in the definition, profitable distribution and market growth of technology-based products that solve emerging marketing communications market needs. Managing technology companies from start-up through significant growth, such as Xyvision, Eikonix, Raytheon Graphic Systems, UNDA, Scanview, and MGE/MCT, he has played a leading role in introducing and growing many of the first-of-a-kind successful products that have changed the prepress, photograqphic/digital imaging and digital marketing communications fields.  Some of these products include:

The first typeset “printing” utilizing a laser printer

• The first color digital camera
• The first true font WYSIWYG pagination software giving designers the ability to interactively control their design directly into commercial print production.
• The first all digital color separation system
• The first “stochastic screening” technology to digitally print photorealistic images without the use of traditional half tone screening
• The first fully configurable RIP allowing customers to simply integrate within their own workflows
• The first ink jet computer to plate technology
• The first software tying graphic design for imaging directly to finishing system production
• The first on-demand flipbook manufacturing

In addition, Xyvision became a public company, Eikonix was sold to Eastman Kodak, and Raytheon Graphic Systems, UNDA, Scanview, Stoesser Register Systems, AlphaMeric, TechServices, PrintNation,MGE and MCT were sold to partners and/or competitors. Mr. Aranoff was instrumental in arranging the sale of all of these companies, except for Scanview, where he had left the company.

Since 1986, ARTTEX has provided pragmatic business, marketing and sales strategy & implementation consulting to client companies based upon this successful operating expertise. Mr. Aranoff specializes in providing this expertise both to smaller companies that cannot afford such help on a full-time basis, and to larger/international companies looking for advice about new products and/or modifications to existing distribution strategies. Five times during this period, client companies have asked Mr. Aranoff to join them and help implement their growth after his initial consulting role, which he was successful in accomplishing and each company was subsequently sold to a larger competitor.

More recently, Mr. Aranoff has specialized in the marketing and distribution of Digital Imaging solutions, with emphasis on marketplace convergence brought about by the use of powerful off-the-shelf components and common software threads.  He recently consulted for MCT Inc, whose broad hardware and softrware product range provided industrial grade solutions for digital finishing -cutting  and teching for a wide variety of industries from rolled to rigid print to industrial products including gasketd and acrylic via knives, routing bits AND lasers all in a single "all in one" solution. Other Clientele have included Pixta Inc., a Cloud-based Workflow software for wide format digital printers and MCT, Inc., distributor a broad range of digital routing/knife cutting/laser converting systems including the industry's patented and most utlilized "cut to print" software, i-cut(C).

Older Consultancy clients include: Cactus/3M, Dainippon Screen, Eastman Kodak, Esko-Artwork/MGE Inc.,Heartland Imaging, KPG/Tech Services Int’l, Olec Corp, Ricoh, Scitex, Software Studio and Vytek Lasers. Other kinds of clients include venture capitalists, law firms and startup software and technology ventures. 

In addition, Mr. Aranoff sits on the Board of Videocom, an International Satellite Transmission Company with offices in South America.   He is also a past Board Member of the Silicon Valley Software Forum (SV Forum), and was Co-Chair of its Marketing Committee, charged with managing its pro-bono consulting practice for small software companies needing guidance.  Through this latter activity Mr. Aranoff also provided business strategy and marketing consulting to a number of startup software companies in the voice recognition, drawing, digital photography, interfacing and RIP marketplaces. 

Mr. Aranoff holds a Masters Degrees in Systems Engineering and an MBA Degree, with Distinction, in Sales & Marketing. He has often served as a speaker and forum moderator and is also a frequent guest writer for digital imaging publications including The SGIA Journal and speaking at Industry Expos.