Hospitality Design - September 2017 - 14

advertorial

Q&A

with

aaron kirsch
president, astek wallcoverings

What is your company's philosophy?

Our main focus has always been providing
exceptional customer service and to realize
our client's vision. The wallcovering industry
is very design driven and it's essential for our
company to be at the forefront of design and to
support the creative community. We frequently
sponsor design events and hire from local
art institutions and this practice has given us
an edge in the field. Utilizing the finest print
technology, combined with exceptional design
and output will continue to be our priority.

How do you see your company growing
in the next five years?

Our hospitality division has seen significant
growth over the past few years and we only see
that becoming a greater part of our future. In
such a fast-moving industry, we will continue
to innovate and experiment with prototyping
on new grounds and printing materials. We
also find ourselves entering into new markets
around the world which is exciting to us.

How has technology played a role
in product development? How has
technology changed the way you
develop products?

September 2017 hospitalitydesign.com

What sustainability/eco-friendly
practices do you use in product
development?

The advances we have seen in recent years in
printing technology has allowed us to print on
a wide range of substrates, match to a subtle
degree in color, and print at higher resolutions
and speeds resulting in quicker lead times
without sacrificing quality. With our whole
production process going digital we've been
able to finely tune our workflow to enable us to
quality control every step of the process while
not compromising turnaround times.

We do all of our printing using a process that
releases no volatile organic compounds into
the atmosphere, like traditional processes
do. We also offer printing grounds that are
PVC-free and qualify for LEED credits, as
well as grounds made of recycled content.
Additionally, our new recycling program
with the city of Los Angeles ensures that all
plastics and materials that can be recycled
are recycled. With these techniques and
practices we're still able to produce a product
that goes above and beyond in quality and
durability, while doing our part to look after
the environment.

What current trends are you keeping
your eye on?

What's one thing people probably
don't know about your company?

There is no doubt that we are seeing an influx
of digitally printed murals in guest rooms.
Interior designers are utilizing the space that
would be traditionally covered by a headboard
as an opportunity to display artwork and largescale images. We're also always on the look out

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for new printing grounds and eco-friendly
options to keep up with our client's needs for
environmentally-conscious design.

One thing that sets Astek apart is that we
try not to outsource anything. We are both a
design studio and production facility, so from
design to print everything is done under one
roof for fast turnarounds and complete control
over the final product.

http://www.hospitalitydesign.com

Hospitality Design - September 2017

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