Interview with James Stanaway: Epilog’s Director of Marketing

James Stanaway is Epilog‘s Director of Marketing, responsible for all the branding and outreach that Epilog does within the CNC laser industry in the United States and abroad. I asked him a few questions to find-out more regarding his background and the direction that Epilog is going.

Can you describe how you first got into lasers and what your initial thoughts were on seeing this technology in action?

I’ve been involved in Epilog since 2001 when I was lucky enough to run across an Epilog Laser advertisement seeking someone to develop their marketing program. I’ll never forget coming in to meet with Mike Dean, one of the co-founders of Epilog, and he immediately showed me a laser. At that point I’d done a great deal of research on the company, but that was in the days before the video explosion on the web, so I’d never actually seen the laser in action. My mind went absolutely wild with ideas on how this amazing piece of equipment could reach so many more people than Epilog was currently targeting. I was coming into the industry at the perfect time, right when the price of laser systems were starting to make them a reality for an increasing number of people, and Epilog was developing new technology for even higher resolution engraving and more precise cutting.

One of the most exciting things for me, even today, is to show someone the laser for the first time. You know they are destined to have a laser when you can watch their eyes widen in almost disbelief of what these machines are capable of. Soon they are just staring at the laser in wonderment – it really makes it a rewarding job when you can help bring such an amazing technology into people’s lives.

How did you meet Mike (Epilog’s co-founder) and what aspects of your personalities meshed so well that have lead towards the success you enjoy today?

When I came in for my interview with Mike we hit it off right away. I really respected what he and Epilog’s President, Steve Garnier, had built. US manufacturing companies are becoming increasingly rare, and they had built a small company with a lot of potential. Mike has always been the kind of person who believes in hiring good people and letting them do their jobs. Definitely not a micro-manager. He really gave me the freedom to direct the marketing of Epilog without answering to a lot of people about every decision I made. Who could ask for a better boss than that?

What were some of the initial challenges you had to overcome with manufacturing your own laser equipment? Why not just become a reseller?

When Epilog started, becoming a reseller wasn’t an option because we were truly starting from scratch. In 1988 there wasn’t a small-format laser on the market.

Steve Garnier, Epilog’s president, saw the need and developed the first desktop laser system. What he developed was an engraver that would pave the way for Epilog’s success over the next 25 years. From our very first laser, we’ve always been an engineering-driven company that strives to manufacture the best built laser systems that can out-engrave any other laser system on the market. When you look at the highest-detail images, there isn’t a laser out there that can engrave the highest resolution images as quickly or precisely as Epilog’s laser systems.

What is it about Epilog that makes it unique within the CNC laser field?

You know, it’s always tough to put your finger on what makes a company unique, but it’s just the feeling you get when you work with Epilog. We always joke about how no one ever leaves Epilog, but it’s true – once you start working here and realize how good it is, very few people ever leave. The company treats every employee like family, and that treatment of the employees really translates over to how customers feel when they work with Epilog. We become partners with our customers to help them find success with their lasers. Even as we’ve grown into the largest manufacture of desktop laser systems, we still strive to work closely with every customer.

A great example of this is our stellar after-sale support. Not only do we have a Technical Support team that our customers rave about, but we also offer a sample club that is filled with hundreds of files for customers to download and create with their laser, a technical library that we add to every month with how-to articles, a Facebook fans page with thousands of our customers sharing their ideas, and a lot more. As a company, we’re dedicated to manufacturing the best system possible, and standing behind that system. Frankly, that shouldn’t make us different than other companies (people expect top-notch customer care), but the reality is that our support greatly sets us apart.

If I was looking at buying a laser today, what are the key features I should be focusing on?

If you’re looking for a laser system today, the best suggestion I can give is to take the images and materials you’ll be working with the most to each and every demonstration. Run your job and/or graphic on every machine at every wattage configuration you consider. Then compare the results. You’re going to find significant differences in the time and quality you receive from each laser system. Don’t base your decision on the quality of the images the manufacturer provides you. You don’t care about their graphics, you care about yours. Compare the results, engraving time, precision, etc. Once the best quality is determined, then you can look at all the gee-whiz features that lasers come with. Quality and ease-of-use is imperative – if you’re going to be engraving day in and day out, you want to make sure your results are of the highest quality.

The other thing to do is look at the service. Not only of the laser manufacturer, but also of your local distributor / representative. The distributor is the person that you can call for material advice, if you have a problem with your laser, or just need some ideas. Your distributor should be someone who has been in the industry for a long time and knows the laser, the software and system maintenance. They will be the person who is training you, and it’s important to start off with the laser with a strong foundation from quality training. Also look at the manufacturer’s reputation for customer service. At Epilog we take a lot of pride in our technical support team because they make our jobs so much easier. Their reputation precedes them and they’re known by our customers for going above and beyond to make sure everyone’s laser system is up and running.

Can you describe how your new Fusion Laser Series came about?

We’re really excited about the new Fusion Laser. We first previewed the system in Las Vegas at the 2013 Awards & Recognition Association tradeshow and received a lot of great feedback. The laser features a new motion control system that combines new, more industrial motors, a stronger chassis, and new rotary encoders.

By combining these technologies, we have achieved our highest engraving and cutting quality ever at the highest speeds. The motors are US-made, brushless DC servo motors and can withstand even the most rigorous engraving jobs while maintaining a low operating temperature, which allows us to run the laser at higher speeds. The rotary encoders are extremely accurate, at 16,000 counts per revolution. This equates to over 20,000 counts per inch for the x-motor, which means the laser always is going to fire exactly where it needs to for the best engraving quality ever. The speeds of engraving across the entire table are where you’re going to see the biggest changes, but also on cutting – especially thin materials. When cutting 1/8″ thick wood, we’ve seen cutting speeds increase by 150%.

Do you ever see a day where every home has a laser cutter similar to what’s being suggested in the 3D printed world or are lasers “stuck” in the commercial sector?

Over the 12 years I’ve been at Epilog, I’ve seen us gradually start to make the move into homes. We’re showing up in people’s garage woodworking shops and in their offices as a side-business to run at night.

A lot of inventors and makers own the laser now to create prototypes of their projects. I’ve even had parents buy lasers for their kids to learn how to start a business while they are young – almost like a very high-end lemonade stand. It’s not the majority of our business, but it’s definitely an area that we support and intend to grow. We’ve been involved with the DIY/ Maker movement from the very beginning because we see a lot of strong ties between the inventor generation and our lasers – a tool that is so versatile that they can create almost anything with it.

You can find-out more about Epilog Laser by visiting http://epiloglaser.com