LogoJET Partners with Louisiana Culinary Institute
The Baton Rouge cooking school hosts demonstrations for LogoJET's food-safe printer and uses it within its teaching curriculum
LogoJET’s newest printing venture has roots that date back to when LogoJET founder and CEO Susan Cox was seven years old. Her mom took her on a shopping trip to buy chocolate, and for an extra fee, she could have her name piped onto the chocolate with white icing.
“When I saw my name on that bunny, it clicked that this was for me. They personalized it right there,” Cox explains. “I didn’t want to eat it. It was no longer just a chocolate candy. The value increased 10 times — it became too precious to eat.”
That shopping trip sparked Cox’s passion for seeking to turn everyday experiences into memorable moments. “The way I felt seeing my name on that chocolate carries with me to this day,” she says. “That’s where my heart is — in creating those magical moments for others.”
In 16 years, Cox has built LogoJET, a UV printer manufacturer, into one of the fastest-growing businesses in the state of Louisiana. Now, its newest printer, the FSR90, offers personalization with food-grade inks on edible items.
“We are a technology company. Typically, we demonstrate our amazing products for clients and potential clients in our shop — which is not a food-safe area,” Cox explains. “We wanted a food-safe place to demo the FSR90 outside of our shop.”
This is where the Louisiana Culinary Institute (LCI) comes into the picture. Based in Baton Rouge, LCI’s cooking and teaching facilities made it the perfect choice to situate client demonstration for LogoJET’s new printer, as well as use it within the LCI teaching curriculum.
“Everyone is surprised at the quality of printing,” adds Charlie Ruffolo, public affairs at LCI. “Frankly, the sky’s the limit.”
Currently, LCI primarily uses the printer to print cookies, hamburger buns, desserts, and cakes.
“The good news is that the printing tastes as good as it looks,” Ruffolo adds. “And the turnaround time is faster than anticipated. If you want something customized and memorable, why not? Let’s have fun with it. It’s a business waiting to happen. We are looking forward to developing it further — the possibilities are wide open.”
Oscar Granados, LogoJET’s director of sales, says larger food companies are also looking for ways to improve and/or launch new products, and using food-safe inks is a way to do that.
“By customizing or adding complex, colorful images to their products, they can convert something common into a singular and superior experience, generating new revenue streams and product/brand awareness,” Granados says. “With our technology, the possibility of printing directly on food in a more industrial setting is opening a completely new spectrum of possibilities for food manufacturers.”