We couldn't have done it without you, our customer
2019 was quite a year. For us at RMGT, it was all about our customers, saving you time, money, and stress. You've helped show that offset is alive and well, augmented by new advancements in LED-UV technology.
So read on and watch our video highlights, and let's look forward to an even better 2020.
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Major productivity gains, along with opening up new revenue opportunities drove the decision to invest.
SAN JOSE, CA — November 12, 2019 — Pacific Printing, a union commercial printer based in Silicon Valley, recently installed their second RMGT 9 Series offset press. The president of the company, Andrew Goett, noted that they were looking to expand their offerings to a wide range of services, including offset, digital, wide-format, mailing and fulfillment work. “Strategically, we needed to address some major obstacles to profitability that many printers face in our current economic climate,” states Andrew Goett, President of Pacific Printing. “Back in April 2019, we took the first step by replacing two half-size Komori presses with just one RMGT 9 Series press. This 37-inch press prints an 8-up sheet but fits in the same footprint as the older 28-inch press it replaced. So, we immediately doubled capacity and capabilities without redesigning our floor layout.” This enabled Pacific Printing to gain larger clients and service their existing customers with the upcoming elections. "We have effectively cut that time in half on our first 5-color RMGT 9 Series, and now in half again with the new 8-color Perfector"
Time is a major factor for a mailing and fulfillment shop, where it is all about getting the job done and into the mail stream as fast as possible. “Recently, we ran 125,000 6x11 inch pieces that, on our old press, would have taken us 10-12 hours of press time to produce. We have effectively cut that time in half on our first 5-color RMGT 9 Series, and now in half again with the new 8-color Perfector. We can now go from the press to Post Office in two days. This is going to change our world,” said Goett.
As well as being able to take on larger runs in a shorter time frame, Pacific Printing has seen the advantage of reducing click costs and moving digital work, back to high quality offset, “We probably would not have thought we could go from digital back to offset a year ago,” he continued. “With the cost of plates, chemistry, ink, setup, etc., we wouldn’t have thought the break-even would be that low. But we went to Japan and saw the factory as well as visited RMGT users in Japan. We saw people setting up the press in 5-7 minutes and literally running 70-100 sheets then doing a new setup. That was pretty eye-opening.” In fact, they are already starting to bring some digital work back to offset, with the sweet spot currently falling around 300-400 sheets. “But we anticipate that ‘Mendoza line’ to go even lower as we get better with the machine,” Goett stated. Reducing click costs and moving digital work back to high quality offset
One of the draws for Pacific Printing was that the 37-inch press fits in the same footprint as their older 28-inch press it is replacing, allowing them to expand capacity and capabilities without redesigning their layout. “The price was a draw as well,” said Goett. “Compared to a 40-inch press, when we did price comparisons, it was 30-40% less than most manufacturers were quoting us. We felt the RMGT 9 Series was the best ‘bang for our buck.’”
“This is the perfect example of how the RMGT 9 Series can help transform a shop with the added benefit of creating great new friendships,” said Kian Hemmen, Western Region Sales Manager—RMGT, Print & Finishing Solutions. “During the evaluation process we had the opportunity to really get to know the team at Pacific Printing/Printed Union in their local surroundings, demonstrations in Southern California and a trip to Japan. They really are wonderful people and I look forward to a great, long term relationship with them. Sitting in the lobby and offices of Pacific Printing you feel as home and you can tell that their customers do as well. They currently have political printing down to a science and are very productive. It will be exciting to see where they go with new abilities for specialty work and value add with the new RMGT 9 series Perfector. I believe Pacific Printing is going to see measurable growth in the coming years with this press, and I am looking forward to serving them throughout the entire process.” Creating the Print Shop of Today
As well as investing in two new RMGT 9 Series Presses, Pacific Printing has been dedicated to technology and advanced features. The presses are equipped with Fully Automatic and Simultaneous Plate Changing, 55 Inch Press information displays, Pamarco Ink Sentinels, and proudly boast the 3rd Generation, high powered, Panasonic LED-UV systems. The latest addition was adding the LithoFlash inline color control system from Lithec. “We want our customers to know that we care about what their work looks like. We take pride in our quality and run to G7 Standards.” says Goett
With all the firepower in the pressroom the next bottleneck was the bindery. Pacific Printing quickly reacted and installed a new Horizon Mark III Saddlestitcher with an integrated knife fold unit for cross folding the direct mail booklet, Horizon CRF-362, and Tech Lighting UV Coater. “By being able to skip the folding of signatures it freed up the folders to fold finished product and doubled our production speeds of saddle stitched books. The Horizon Mark III is perfect for our shop, we are tight on space and it uses half as much as our older traditional stitcher.” Slipping a Horizon CRF-362 Creaser/Folder into the bindery also freed up time. “Being able to skip the letter press or the more complex set ups on the folder with scoring wheels and 8 page sections has given us even more time to take on more work and better yet produce a better finished piece. With a dwindling talent pool and peak seasons, Pacific Printing has chosen productivity and automation to meet the demands required. “We are doing a lot more work for our clients in a shorter time period today with the same amount of employees and in the same amount of square footage” The Bay Area has one of the highest costs of living in North America and having the correct equipment and through put capabilities has allowed Pacific Printing the ability to expand and grow the business. About Print & Finishing Solutions (PFS) Print & Finishing Solutions (PFS) is the largest graphic arts service and supplies company west of the Mississippi. It services California, the country, and the world with quality new and used machinery, installation and training, and post-sale support. Specializing in new and refurbished machinery, parts, supplies, and service for the print and graphics industry, PFS supports commercial printers and binderies of all sizes as well as digital printers and corporate and public in-plants. Within its facility, PFS offers two demonstration centers catering to both commercial offset / bindery and digital solutions. The Commercial Showroom features the latest machinery from RMGT, Horizon, Challenge, Perfecta, and Preferred Pack. The Digital / On-Demand Showroom features the latest products from MGI, OkiData, Mimaki, Rhin-O-Tuff, MBM, James Burn, DRYLAM, and others. About RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology) RMGT is among the world’s largest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing presses and the world leader in LED-UV technology with over 450 placements worldwide. Our high-speed, fully-automated presses are respected worldwide for unsurpassed print quality, low total cost of ownership, extreme ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. In partnership with Panasonic, RMGT released LED-UV Curing for Print at DRUPA 2008 and we now offer the only G3 LED-UV technology on the market. Headquartered outside of Hiroshima Japan, RMGT is a joint venture company bringing together the best technology and manufacturing expertise of Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The enhanced product lineup and strengthened manufacturing prowess makes RMGT an indispensable brand for the printing industry. Learn more about RMGT at http://www.ryobimhi.com  RMGT 920 Long Perfector with LED-UV Adds Over 270% More Capacity to an On-Line Early Adopter SOLON, OH — October 30, 2019 — Print Direct for Less (PDFL) epitomizes the incredible success commercial printers can attain when they aren’t afraid of growing in new directions. Founded in 1984, the shop began as a small commercial printer with a two-color offset press that accepted any work that walked in the door. But in 2004, the shop was one of the first to embrace the e-commerce revolution. The rest, as they say, is history. “We began selling online printing and using a gang run approach to jobs very early,” notes Ed Perron Jr., current owner and son of the original founder. “In the world of print, we are a pioneering company. In 2004, there were only a handful of businesses that were willing to take the risk in web-to-print.” Over time, Print Direct for Less strategically upgraded capacity, adding presses that were both faster and that offered more features. In 2008, PDFL purchased a Ryobi 755XL 6-up offset press, which served them well for more than a decade. They were so pleased with its performance, they recently made the decision to upgrade to the RMGT 920PF-8+LED-UV Long Perfector press. This 8-up model brings not only faster speeds, observes Perron, but also sheets that are 25% larger, giving PDFL far more capacity as well. Perron anticipates that sales will at least double within the next 12 months as his staff gets up to full speed with the RMGT 920. Perron anticipates that sales will, at the very least, double within the next 12 months as his staff gets up to full speed with the RMGT 920. “And that growth is just from work we already know is coming in, so that might be a rather low projection,” states Perron. “We are one of the few printers in this area with this type of press, so customers are jumping on board because the LED-UV technology provides something they really need.” “The new perfecting press prints both sides in a single pass,” he says. “We basically just jumped from 6 pages per press pass to 16 pages per cycle as far as total throughput. That, along with a higher press speed, translates to over 270% more work from the same labor hour. Turnaround times are shrinking from 2-6 days to sometimes same day, with a max of three days on most projects. LED-UV curing allows us to go directly from printing into finishing, increasing the max throughput, which is the key to future growth. In fact, we already have a market for this work — not only will we be able to go after work from new customers, we are also picking up a sizeable amount of work from our current customers that we couldn’t handle previously.” The new press was installed in early September, with Perron anticipating a week of training for his staff to get up to full production speed in just two weeks. He notes that because the press it is replacing was also an RMGT product, his staff has an advantage since many of the functions of the press are similar so he doesn’t anticipate a large learning curve. “It’s just going to be learning the news bells and whistles,” he says. Less shifts with increased productivity per shift The new press will allow Print Direct for Less to decrease the number of shifts it operates; currently the shop has two shifts, running 20 hours per day, but Perron believes the RMGT 920 will cut that to a single shift — for now. “With all the new work we anticipate for this press, I think we’ll be loaded back up pretty quickly,” Perron says. “I think we’ll be back to two shifts and maybe a third as our turnaround time and enhanced print quality brings in more and more work.”
Even more than the technology, Perron attributes the success of his shop to the hard work of his 20-plus employees, as well as a loyal customer base that keeps returning — some have been continuous customers since 2004. “We separate ourselves because we are much more customer friendly. Clients are able to get hold of us, and we take a personal interest in every job. A lot of them leave other online printers because they can’t get any real service, but I feel that’s a critical factor in long-term relationships. It’s harder to get a new customer than to keep an old one, if you do all the right things.” “Ed’s story is a true inspiration — a family operation that has grown into a powerhouse printer. And they have done it by being fearless when it comes to investment in new ideas and new equipment, but at the same time, they are smart and strategic about when and how they do it,” notes Chris Manley, president of Graphco, the RMGT Distributor in the Midwest and Southeastern US. “It’s inspiring, and I am proud that Graphco has been part of their journey since Ed’s family purchased their first Ryobi press from us in 2008. I am looking forward to working with PDFL as they grow in the next decade, with the new technology and opportunities the RMGT 920 will bring to their operation.” About Graphco Graphco is the industry’s leading provider of offset, digital, and print finishing solutions. We proudly import the RMGT line of new offset printing presses featuring market-leading LED-UV curing technology, Smart Insta.Color automated make-ready, and our popular Packaging Edition presses. All RMGT presses offer best-in-class reliability and durability. The Graphco Technical Service Team stands behind every RMGT press and Graphco’s reputation for top-notch service is second to none. Since 1976, Graphco has thrived in an ever-changing market place by loyally adhering to our original model for success: Providing best-in-class print production equipment along with reliable and assured technical service. Learn more about Graphco at www.graphco.com About RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology) RMGT is among the world’s largest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing presses and the world leader in LED-UV technology with over 450 placements worldwide. Our high-speed, fully-automated presses are respected worldwide for unsurpassed print quality, low total cost of ownership, extreme ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. In partnership with Panasonic, RMGT released LED-UV Curing for Print at DRUPA 2008 and we now offer the only G3 LED-UV technology on the market. Headquartered outside of Hiroshima Japan, RMGT is a joint venture company bringing together the best technology and manufacturing expertise of Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The enhanced product lineup and strengthened manufacturing prowess makes RMGT an indispensable brand for the printing industry. Learn more about RMGT at http://www.ryobimhi.com
Pioneering UV Printer Stays with RMGT and GEW for LED-UV Upgrade: 8-Up Format Improves Productivity, Quality, and Profitability.
CHAMPAIGN, IL — September 19, 2019 — Martin One Source was founded 30 years ago as a forms distributor and print broker specializing in fully integrated business forms and high-quality print projects. As business quickly grew, President and CEO, Chuck Martin realized it would be more profitable to bring his print work in house, adding his first press to the operation in 2005. By 2007, Martin One Source added a fully automated 6-Up Ryobi 755XL equipped with state-of-the-art UV curing and the company quickly established itself as the leading high value add printer in Central Illinois. 
Chris Manley, Phillip Martin, Chuck Martin, Doug Brady
“We are ganging up digital jobs and moving them to offset where it’s less expensive — no click charges, just plates and ink.”
Having enjoyed over eleven years of Ryobi print quality, durability and reliability, when Martin One Source knew it was time to add an 8-Up press the RMGT 940 was really the only press they considered. “With our first Ryobi’s track record it was hard to look elsewhere.” says Chuck Martin. “I do wish I had gone with this size press to begin with, but it wasn't available at the time,” Martin continued. “In 2007, we put in a 31-inch press, and we could do a 12-pager with a Dutch cut, but the RMGT 940 is a 37-inch press. It increased our output by a third. Since it allows for 8-up signatures, we save on paper costs, reducing our waste. Plus, our GEW Leo-LED-UV system is saving a ton of power over the conventional UV we replaced.”
Martin One Source continues to focus on serving the business needs of its customers, printing everything from corporate identity jobs to providing corporate apparel, and high value add print so that their clients can differentiate themselves in their vertical markets. “We do a little of everything, and we have a wide range of equipment now,” notes Martin. The RMGT 940 is currently running around the clock with multiple shifts, but Martin says there is still room for growth. The next phase of growth in the short term, will be moving some short-run digital work back to offset. 
“We are ganging up digital jobs and moving them to offset where it’s less expensive — no click charges, just plates and ink. And if we gang up a few 500-piece jobs, it’s more cost-effective. Our make-readies only take a few minutes and with LED-UV we can roll right into finishing quickly” states Martin. “And our customers love the special effects we provide like Chemical Embossing and high gloss UV coatings. As the first printer in Central Illinois with a UV press back in 2008, our Sales Team is very experienced at selling high quality finishes and making projects really stand out.”
The new RMGT press has also helped Martin One Source bring additional work back in house that had to be brokered to several web printers. “We’re more economical now, more competitive on the larger projects with this 8-up sheet size,” says Martin. In addition, he notes that the print quality is outstanding using LED-UV inks. “The original Ryobi printed great and our new RMGT 9 Series really lays down the ink too,” Martin notes. “We are extremely pleased with this press.” Although the 9 Series press has been in for less than a year, Martin is already starting to look ahead. Eventually Martin would love to put in a 10-color long perfector. “We’ve already been talking to the RMGT guys. Everyone at RMGT, Graphco and GEW have been phenomenal to work with. They really step it up to make sure everything is good to go. Our 940 is doing almost twice the work we did on the 750, which was always a real workhorse, so adding the long perfector should allow us to quadruple our production in roughly the same spot where our 750 sits now. The throughput potential is amazing.” Amazing throughput potential with RMGT
“It has been great to work with Chuck and his Team. When Graphco became the RMGT Distributor, Martin One Source was one of my first visits. I wanted to thank Chuck for producing one of the most impressive Capabilities Guides I’ve ever seen. I got one of these books full of UV Special Effects and amazing graphics back in 2008 and it helped me sell lots of high specification RMGT presses through the years.” states Chris Manley, President of Graphco, the RMGT distributor for the region. “At our meeting in 2014, Chuck told me how much he loved his first Ryobi and that he’d be adding another one soon. He's been a man of his word and it’s been great to see how the super-efficient RMGT 9 Series press is helping Martin One Source continue their growth.”
About Graphco Graphco is the industry’s leading provider of offset, digital, and print finishing solutions. We proudly import the RMGT line of new offset printing presses featuring market-leading LED-UV curing technology, Smart Insta.Color automated make-ready, and our popular Packaging Edition presses. All RMGT presses offer best-in-class reliability and durability. The Graphco Technical Service Team stands behind every RMGT press and Graphco’s reputation for top-notch service is second to none. Since 1976, Graphco has thrived in an ever-changing market place by loyally adhering to our original model for success: Providing best-in-class print production equipment along with reliable and assured technical service. Learn more about Graphco at www.graphco.com About RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology) RMGT is among the world’s largest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing presses and the world leader in LED-UV technology with over 450 placements worldwide. Our high-speed, fully-automated presses are respected worldwide for unsurpassed print quality, low total cost of ownership, extreme ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. In partnership with Panasonic, RMGT released LED-UV Curing for Print at DRUPA 2008 and we now offer the only G3 LED-UV technology on the market. Headquartered outside of Hiroshima Japan, RMGT is a joint venture company bringing together the best technology and manufacturing expertise of Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The enhanced product lineup and strengthened manufacturing prowess makes RMGT an indispensable brand for the printing industry. Learn more about RMGT at http://www.ryobimhi.com  Three Key Technologies - One Super-Efficient Platform - Yields Tremendous Advantage
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL — September 12, 2019 — With an office in the famed Printers Row, James DeBlasio, Sr. and his wife Maria started JD Graphic in 1963 as a premier print broker in Chicago. Today, JD Graphic spans three generations as James DeBlasio, Jr., President, and son Nick DeBlasio, Vice-President, lead a family-based management team serving the greater Chicago area. With more than 40 employees, JD Graphic operates multiple sheet-fed, web and digital presses as well as a full-service finishing department. This fall, JD Graphic continues their expansion by installing an RMGT 920PF-8+LED-UV eight color long perfector equipped with GEW’s Leo-LED-UV curing system and a Quantum QRS roll-to-sheet feeder. “We are a commercial printer at heart,” states Nick DeBlasio. “My father and grandfather built this business and nurtured a progressive culture that we maintain down to this day. With the RMGT 9 Series, we have the versatility to stay within our current lane and expand into a new exciting marketplace. This newly developed roll-to-sheet feeder is the first of its kind for the 9 Series press. I believe it is going to be a key to our future success — it will allow us to save a lot of money on paper costs and the RMGT 9 Series offers the lowest cost of print manufacturing as well.” Since JD Graphic has extensive experience with web presses and the paper supply chain, DeBlasio identifies the ability to add a roll feeder to the RMGT 9 Series press was a key factor in their decision to invest in the RMGT long perfector. “We understand rolls, and we understand the price difference, availability of stock and labor cost reduction. If we can buy rolls and sheet them down, that will save a lot of money for us — savings we can pass along to our customers as well. Add in the wider range of stock options, and not having to wait for someone else to sheet it all for us, and I believe this new press is going to be a real catalyst for growth.” Replacing one of their older Heidelberg webs with an LED-UV equipped RMGT 9 Series long perfector will provide JD Graphic with much higher print quality, a wider range of substrates and ink gloss levels that are unheard of in the web world. This key strategic move will open numerous new sales avenues for JD Graphic. By offering features like fully automated plate changing, Insta.Color make-ready automation and virtually non-stop operation the new RMGT press will dramatically reduce waste, improve speed to market and provide an outstanding finished product to JD Graphic’s customers. While the company has built a very successful commercial print business during its first 56 years, it is also looking ahead 10-15 years for new growth opportunities. DeBlasio can now target the high-quality label and packaging space. Having the roll sheeter will give JD Graphic a significant financial edge as they expand into these segments where stocks like metalized, high-grade board and expensive plastics play such an important role in job costing. Blending the tremendous advantages of an 8 color RMGT offset press, GEW LED-UV curing and Quantum roll-to-sheet technology onto one super-efficient platform will allow JD Graphic to muscle into these new markets from a position of strength. “The RMGT 9 Series with a roll feeder is capable of running long runs without stopping as well as run like a digital press with quick make ready times and very little waste,” says Nick DeBlasio. “This is a really exciting venture for us. The next step once the press is installed will be marketing our new capabilities and taking even better care of our loyal customer base. We’ll take the time to really learn the new press and then start to experiment with different substrates and materials. Honestly, I hope that in a few years our business will have grown so much that I’ll need to install another one.” “Lately there has been a lot of buzz around convergence in the print industry — and for me, JD Graphic is the perfect example of that entire concept. The great news is that JD Graphic will be converging toward two of the most stable and lucrative market segments,” says Chris Manley, President of Graphco, the RMGT distributor for the region. “They have grown tremendously, and found lots of success as commercial printers, but the next phase of their growth will take them in a new and lucrative direction — packaging and labels— while continuing to provide the high-quality products they have always produced. This is a great company, run by a great family, and it will be exciting to see what they do with their new RMGT press. We work hard to offer our customers The Unfair Advantage every day and I’m keen to see how far JD Graphic can push their advantage.” About Graphco Graphco is the industry’s leading provider of offset, digital, and print finishing solutions. We proudly import the RMGT line of new offset printing presses featuring market-leading LED-UV curing technology, Smart Insta.Color automated make-ready, and our popular Packaging Edition presses. All RMGT presses offer best-in-class reliability and durability. The Graphco Technical Service Team stands behind every RMGT press and Graphco’s reputation for top-notch service is second to none. Since 1976, Graphco has thrived in an ever-changing market place by loyally adhering to our original model for success: Providing best-in-class print production equipment along with reliable and assured technical service. Learn more about Graphco at www.graphco.com About RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology) RMGT is among the world’s largest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing presses and the world leader in LED-UV technology with over 450 placements worldwide. Our high-speed, fully-automated presses are respected worldwide for unsurpassed print quality, low total cost of ownership, extreme ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. In partnership with Panasonic, RMGT released LED-UV Curing for Print at DRUPA 2008 and we now offer the only G3 LED-UV technology on the market. Headquartered outside of Hiroshima Japan, RMGT is a joint venture company bringing together the best technology and manufacturing expertise of Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The enhanced product lineup and strengthened manufacturing prowess makes RMGT an indispensable brand for the printing industry. Learn more about RMGT at http://www.ryobimhi.com  Printing Impressions 400 Fastest Growing Company Invests in the Latest Offset Technology
CINCINNATI, OH — August 29, 2019 — Graphic Village’s chosen mantle, “The Print Shop of the Future”, is truly the reinvention of a commercial printer built to compete in 2020 and well beyond. Today, Graphic Village, based in Cincinnati, OH, is a multichannel marketing solutions provider. Their client list spans numerous vertical markets including financial services, healthcare, education, non-profits, manufacturing and marketing agencies. The fact that Graphic Village is one of the Printing Impressions 400 fastest growing companies (110% growth to $20 Million FY 2018, Jumping 141 places to #223) would point to the strength of the Graphic Village reinvention approach. While operating under its current identity for a little more than five years, Graphic Village’s roots go back much further. It was the vision of the executive team led by Eric Kahn, Executive Chairman of Graphic Village, and Larry Kuhlman, previous owner of Bramkamp Printing and President/Partner of Graphic Village today, to acquire and unite distinct operations that specialized in marketing, commercial print, digital print, packaging, wide format and direct mail. Formed in 2013 through the merger of Cincinnati’s leading Offset and Digital printers (Bramkamp Printing & DocuPros) Kahn quickly folded in 9 additional companies to build what is today’s Graphic Village. “Our goal was to vertically integrate our business, bringing all the print product lines under one corporate roof,” says Kahn. “We want to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for our clients. But we ended up with three different manufacturing facilities that weren’t integrated. So last year, We bought a 153,000-sq.-ft. building in Blue Ash and we moved everything under one roof. Our goal is to keep growing, both organically and through strategic acquisitions. We will continue to pursue additional businesses in the regional marketplace, both in the same spaces and in unique spaces.” As part of this string of acquisitions, Graphic Village ended up with a wide range of equipment spanning every manufacturer and technology type. As a technology pioneer in Greater Cincinnati, Graphic Village was the first in the Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana Tri-state to install the HP 12000 and Scodix equipment. But moving into new facilities was a chance to evaluate what each acquisition had brought to the table. Selling off the older pieces gave them the ability to invest in newer, more state-of-the art equipment. “We have always invested, and tried to be at the forefront of technology,” says Kahn. “When we moved into this facility, We actually invested $4.5 million in new equipment, including offset presses, die cutters, and digital equipment. In addition to investing in leading edge equipment, we continue to invest heavily in people. Most recently, we were fortunate to bring on a new CEO, Michael Nold, who brings the experience and expertise to truly make Graphic Village a world class organization.” One of the centerpieces of the new facility was the installation of a new RMGT 940 LED UV press, which appealed to Kahn and his team because it maintained the 16-page layout in a smaller footprint with much lower staffing requirements. “The feeds and speeds off that press are exactly where we need them to be from an improvement standpoint,” says Larry Kuhlman. Mark O’Bryan, who was the president of CTS Packaging when it was acquired, and today is Division President of Packaging at Graphic Village, notes that the new press is opening up new services not just in the commercial print side of the business, but in packaging as well. “This RMGT press offers the diversity we need to get into new markets where we haven’t been in the packaging world,” he notes. “Things like the higher-end food and beverage space. This is a hybrid press that can do both commercial print and packaging, as the LED-UV inks and coatings position us to take advantage of both spaces.” Graphic Village is already enjoying the faster make-readies, better color control and the instant dry times that the LED-UV equipped RMGT 940 brings to the table. And while Kahn notes that with just nine months since the installation, they have quickly ramped up the business they can push to the press, he foresees it being a workhorse. “In fact, we already have the pad right beside this press for the next one. We’ll probably retire one of our other older presses and put in either another press specifically for the packaging side, or another 9 series. We have a lot of room for growth.” “The growth of Graphic Village has been incredible to watch,” says Chris Manley, President of Graphco, the RMGT distributor for the region. “We’ve been amazed at the strength of Graphic Village’s production team and the relative ease with which they moved the work from a Heidelberg SM102-10P, an SM-74-6 and a Ryobi 755XL onto their new RMGT 9 Series press. Their scheduling and execution to achieve nearly 100% utilization of this new press almost immediately has been very impressive.” “Graphic Village truly embodies what it means to be The Print Shop of the Future. With the current path they are on, I can’t see anything slowing them down. Being able to offer our partners The Unfair Advantage of an RMGT press to help propel them forward that much faster is a truly exciting opportunity. I cannot wait to see where Eric takes this company next.” Graphco and Graphic Village will be hosting an open house event on September 12 from 10am-4pm so that fellow printers from around the Midwest and Southeast can witness the latest in RMGT print quality, automation and flexibility of production in action. For more information about this event please visit http://bit.ly/GVOpenHouse. About Graphco Graphco is the industry’s leading provider of offset, digital, and print finishing solutions. We proudly import the RMGT line of new offset printing presses featuring market-leading LED-UV curing technology, Smart Insta.Color automated make-ready, and our popular Packaging Edition presses. All RMGT presses offer best-in-class reliability and durability. The Graphco Technical Service Team stands behind every RMGT press and Graphco’s reputation for top-notch service is second to none. Since 1976, Graphco has thrived in an ever-changing market place by loyally adhering to our original model for success: Providing best-in-class print production equipment along with reliable and assured technical service. Learn more about Graphco at www.graphco.com About RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology) RMGT is among the world’s largest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing presses and the world leader in LED-UV technology with over 450 placements worldwide. Our high-speed, fully-automated presses are respected worldwide for unsurpassed print quality, low total cost of ownership, extreme ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. In partnership with Panasonic, RMGT released LED-UV Curing for Print at DRUPA 2008 and we now offer the only G3 LED-UV technology on the market. Headquartered outside of Hiroshima Japan, RMGT is a joint venture company bringing together the best technology and manufacturing expertise of Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The enhanced product lineup and strengthened manufacturing prowess makes RMGT an indispensable brand for the printing industry. Learn more about RMGT at http://www.ryobimhi.com  Horizon Printing & Mailing projects 25-35% growth with the RMGT 9 Series. AUSTIN, TX — August 22, 2019— For Austin, Texas-based Horizon Printing & Mailing, UV print capabilities are one of the things that set them apart from the competition. 13 years ago, the shop installed their first UV press, and were the first and only commercial printer in Austin offering this advanced print technology. When the time came to increase capacity, the RMGT 920 8-color LED UV with perfector was an obvious choice. “We’re growing,” says Harold Carter, general manager for Horizon. “We needed more capacity, and we wanted to get into the perfecting market. This new press will give us a competitive advantage, with not only the perfecting capabilities, but the LED-UV technology.” Based on their legacy of printing UV for more than a decade, upgrading to LED-UV technology was going to have huge advantages. “There was never any doubt for us — we knew when it was time to put a new press in, it was going to be an LED-UV. It was a no-brainer. We’re going to have shorter production times with this press, and quicker turn-around times, which in turn will allow us to bring in a wider range of customers, for both short- and long-run jobs. We are projecting growth of 25-35% by the end of this year with the RMGT 9 series once we are fully up and running.” The Press with the competitive edge Carter notes that when it comes to the LED-UV technology in particular, it wasn’t just the higher quality and faster drying times that made this press stand out. He notes that the LED-UV has lower electricity costs versus the traditional UV they had been running, which will in turn help the shop improve the bottom line. The fact that the press packs a large amount of power into a compact footprint, as well as the ability to run jobs on a wider range of substrates also contributed to the decision to go with RMGT. At Horizon, Carter notes that they are seeing run lengths get shorter over time, a trend that is echoed by many across the industry. However, while Horizon does have digital equipment, Carter notes that the RMGT 9 series will actually be getting some of the short-run work moved back to offset from the digital side. “When you look at the cost of the plates and other materials, along with how fast it is to change the plates on this press, we realized we could do shorter runs economically on this press and still have cost savings versus a longer digital run,” says Carter. “We will still do the really short runs on digital of course, but depending on the type of piece, we will be moving a number of jobs over to the RMGT 9 Series.” The quality of digital is good, but the quality of offset is betterCarter further notes that for Horizon, 85% of the revenue is still coming from the offset side of the business, making the investment in the RMGT, which can handle a much wider range of jobs than most digital or offset presses, a good fit for the business. “Not to mention,” he says, “while the quality of digital is pretty good these days, the quality of offset is still better. That will always be part of the equation as well. You are limited in terms of what you can do for things like solids on the digital equipment, whereas with offset we just have more control over that.” “What’s exciting about this installation is that this is the first RMGT 9 Series with a perfector being installed in the Southwest United States,” says Kian Hemmen, Director of Sales, Print & Finishing Solutions, the RMGT distributor for the region. “Horizon Printing is the type of shop that we really like to see these machines go to because of their commitment to quality. We know that the press is going to shine and will continue to help them grow as the top-quality printer in Austin. It has been an honor to work with Mike Spann, Harold Carter and the team at Horizon Printing. We are so grateful to be partners with the 28 year old company that shares the same goals and values that we do: Quality, Commitment, and Expertise.” About Print & Finishing Solutions (PFS) Print & Finishing Solutions (PFS) is the largest graphic arts service and supplies company west of the Mississippi. PFS services California, the country, and the world with quality new and used machinery, installation and training, and post-sale support. Specializing in new and refurbished machinery, parts, supplies, and service for the print and graphics industry, PFS supports commercial printers and binderies of all sizes as well as digital printers and corporate and public in-plants. Within its facility, PFS offers two demonstration centers catering to both commercial offset / bindery and digital solutions. The Commercial Showroom features the latest machinery from RMGT, Horizon, Challenge, Perfecta, and Preferred Pack. The Digital / On-Demand Showroom features the latest products from MGI, OkiData, Mimaki, Rhin-O-Tuff, MBM, James Burn, DRYLAM, and others. About RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology) RMGT is among the world’s largest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing presses and the world leader in LED-UV technology with over 450 placements worldwide. Our high-speed, fully-automated presses are respected worldwide for unsurpassed print quality, low total cost of ownership, extreme ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. In partnership with Panasonic, RMGT released LED-UV Curing for Print at DRUPA 2008 and we now offer the only G3 LED-UV technology on the market. Headquartered outside of Hiroshima Japan, RMGT is a joint venture company bringing together the best technology and manufacturing expertise of Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The enhanced product lineup and strengthened manufacturing prowess makes RMGT an indispensable brand for the printing industry. Learn more about RMGT athttp://www.ryobimhi.com  INDIANAPOLIS, IN — July 23, 2019 — With mergers and acquisitions affecting printers in the direct mail and fulfillment market, EZ Mailing had a significant decision to make back in 2014. Kevin Bennett, President of EZ Mailing, based in Indianapolis, IN, bought the assets of the business and had no intention of becoming a sheetfed offset printer again. The business was based around mailing and fulfillment, and Bennett, who had sold print for nearly 30 years previously, planned to just broker any offset print while focusing on his digital print and mailing operations. “With the existing digital print capabilities of the company we acquired, I have the distinct memory of thinking that only an idiot would jump back into purchasing big iron (offset presses),” states Bennett. That changed, however, as he quickly discovered that brokering out the print work meant a loss of control over everything from timelines to quality, and a whole lot of the profits as well.In June 2018, he took a big step and purchased Haywood Printing, a commercial shop based in Layfette, and immediately put the older offset press that came with the business up for sale — and put down a deposit for the new RMGT 920. One of the biggest draws for Bennett, for whom mail continues to be a large portion of the business, is the offset speed and quality, without the need for press powder. “Press powder kills,” he says. “If I printed a job offset on one side, and variable-data on the other, I blow press powder through the digital press. With LED-UV technology on the RMGT 9 Series press, I don’t have that issue.” RMGT - Making the economics of Offset more profitable While Bennett does have a large fleet of digital presses for those variable projects, he notes that he doesn’t just run everything on those units “because of the cost. That click rate will eat you alive,” he says. “And what is the life span of a digital press? Maybe 3-5 years? With offset, it’s 20 or more. We pulled a lot of the jobs we were running digital before, and we’ve moved them back to offset on the RMGT press. I can take a postcard job that would be around 3,000 clicks digitally and run it eight-up on the RMGT in a few minutes time and pocket the extra money.” It’s not even about the quality, or even the color fidelity, which Bennett notes are fantastic across the board. Rather, he stresses that the RMGT has made the economics of print much more favorable. “I can manufacture a piece more cost-effectively on offset,” he says. At the same time, because the RMGT 9 Series press uses LED-UV curing, there is no dry time either like there would be on a conventional press, allowing him to “do a pass through, then just flip it over and run it again for the other side. And I can send it right to finishing from there. I can have a 1,500 sheetjob done from plates to finished in less than 15 minutes.” Print isn't dead, Offset is alive “EZ Mailing is the perfect example of how not only is print not dead, but offset print is very much alive and well, and still has a powerful role to play in today’s industry,” says Chris Manley, President of Graphco, the RMGT Distributor in the Midwest and Southeastern U.S. “We are also extremely proud to work with Kevin Bennett, who I call an Entrepreneur’s Entrepreneur. Within a few weeks of showing Kevin what the RMGT 9 could do for his business, he had placed his order and made plans to visit the RMGT factory in Japan. We are thrilled to see that his quick calculated, decision-making has resulted in great gains for his business."
Gary Greis, Graphco Regional Manager adds, “The RMGT 9 Series press is a perfect bridge between offset and digital, allowing printers to gain the benefits of shorter, more cost-effective runs, while also eliminating press powder and other chemicals, and getting the instant dry times for better productivity. No matter what vertical or print type a shop is targeting, EZ Mailing proves this press can be a game changer.” About Graphco Graphco is the industry’s leading provider of offset, digital, and print finishing solutions. We proudly import the RMGT line of new offset printing presses featuring market-leading LED-UV curing technology, Smart Insta.Color automated make-ready, and our popular Packaging Edition presses. All RMGT presses offer best-in-class reliability and durability. The Graphco Technical Service Team stands behind every RMGT press and Graphco’s reputation for top-notch service is second to none. Since 1976, Graphco has thrived in an ever-changing market place by loyally adhering to our original model for success: Providing best-in-class print production equipment along with reliable and assured technical service. Learn more about Graphco at www.graphco.com About RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology) RMGT is among the world’s largest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing presses and the world leader in LED-UV technology with over 450 placements worldwide. Our high-speed, fully-automated presses are respected worldwide for unsurpassed print quality, low total cost of ownership, extreme ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. In partnership with Panasonic, RMGT released LED-UV Curing for Print at DRUPA 2008 and we now offer the only G3 LED-UV technology on the market. Headquartered outside of Hiroshima Japan, RMGT is a joint venture company bringing together the best technology and manufacturing expertise of Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The enhanced product lineup and strengthened manufacturing prowess makes RMGT an indispensable brand for the printing industry. Learn more about RMGT athttp://www.ryobimhi.com  SHOREWOOD, IL – April 26, 2019 - Graphic Promotions Inc. (GPI), based here, recently installed a fully equipped RMGT 790 press that features LED-UV curing technology. The shop has replaced two older 4-Up offset presses, while increasing their size to a 6-Up platform that runs at 16,000 SPH. Daryl Sladek, the Owner of GPI, notes that his shop started out 25 years ago as a strictly offset printer, running pieces such as brochures, letter heads and other commercial print jobs. However, in recent years, he notes, “we’ve become a lot more digitally involved. The digital end is where we’re going, and that was the reason for the new press — we are trying to be more competitive in that market.” GPI offers their highly selective customer base the finest in wide format ink jet print production and has carved out a strong niche in the extremely high-quality end of that market. Recognizing that this segment focuses on short runs, GPI originally considered adding a half-size digital press, but quickly found that what they really needed wasn’t a device that could do full variable data, but rather a true press that could handle shorter runs of 250-500 while also producing 100,000 piece jobs when the opportunity came up. Their new RMGT 790, with the LED-UV technology and a full suite of automation technology has fit that bill perfectly. Shorter, faster, and more efficient runs with RMGT
Making shops more competetive with LED-UV Technology
“This is a great example of why offset is still such a strong technology, even in today’s digital world,” said Chris Manley, President, Graphco. “True variable data jobs are just a small percentage of the short run work out there. And our RMGT offset press can tackle the huge portion of that work that is static, in most cases, for far lower cost than digital, with higher quality and a wider range of substrates. Graphic Promotions realized that offset is still a rich, vibrant and, more importantly, profitable print technology. Graphco is very pleased to be a long-term partner to Daryl, Stacey and the rest of the GPI crew and we are ready to help them continue to grow and evolve for their next 25 years in business.”
About Graphco Graphco is the industry’s leading provider of premium offset, digital and print finishing solutions, including innovative RMGT Offset presses, GEW LED-UV curing systems, Horizon finishing systems, Foliant laminators, and other top brands. These brands are only as good as the technical support team that stands behind them, and with factory-trained technicians on-staff for every product we sell, Graphco’s reputation for top-notch technical service is second to none. Since 1976, Graphco has thrived in an ever-changing market place by loyally adhering to the firm’s original model for success: providing best-in-class print production equipment along with reliable and assured technical service. Learn more about Graphco at www.graphco.com, 800-458-2769. About RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology) RMGT is among the world’s largest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing presses and the world leader in LED-UV technology with over 450 placements worldwide. Our high-speed, fully-automated presses are respected worldwide for unsurpassed print quality, low total cost of ownership, extreme ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. In partnership with Panasonic, RMGT released LED-UV Curing for Print at DRUPA 2008 and we now offer the only G3 LED-UV technology on the market. Headquartered outside of Hiroshima Japan, RMGT is a joint venture company bringing together the best technology and manufacturing expertise of Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The enhanced product lineup and strengthened manufacturing prowess makes RMGT an indispensable brand for the printing industry. Learn more about RMGT athttp://www.ryobimhi.com  CHICAGO, IL — March 27, 2019 — For Roman Majewski, the founder of Chicago’s Polpress, printing has been more than a way to earn a living, going back to his early days in the Chicago printing trades where his passion for high quality printing was fostered by men twice his age. Polpress is known throughout the city for the craftsman’s approach that is taken with each print job they produce. Investing in a better way to produce his demanding client’s projects has been Roman’s goal for many years, but until the perfect mix of technology, footprint and value became a reality, this investment had to wait.
“Derek Gordon from Graphco told us about the RMGT 9 Series press a few years ago and I’ve been interested in this press and LED-UV ever since,” says Roman Majewski. “We went to Push Solutions and some other RMGT houses and all we heard was great news. I could tell the technology and build quality of the press were solid, and LED-UV curing was ready for prime time, so we pulled the trigger.” The new press was installed in September of 2018 and it’s no coincidence that Polpress grew by over 15% by the end of the year. “This press just runs and runs,” notes Majewski. Polpress’s new RMGT 940ST-5+CC+LED-UV five-color press features a full suite of industry leading technology like RMGT’s SMART Insta.Color make-ready technology, FULL RPC fully automatic plate-changing, dual coating capability to produce both Aqueous and LED-UV and even a color console interfaced with a Wi-Fi tablet. “Our family has two Tesla cars and I do my photography with a Leica so I’ve always invested in the best technology. The build quality and features on this new RMGT press have really impressed me,” Majewski comments. “We want to offer the best print quality and with LED-UV and all this great automation we can give our customers the best with a lot less effort.” In addition to the productivity gains, part of their success is due to using LED-UV inks, which allow Polpress to print on nearly any stock. “It has instant curing, and the idea of just running the job, taking it off the press and putting it on the cutter is just amazing. It’s like having a huge digital press, basically, a huge, full-sized digital press,” Majewski said. As one of the only LED-UV printers in the city of Chicago, Polpress is also capitalizing on the environmental benefits to the RMGT 9 Series. Since it emits no VOCs and doesn’t require any sprays to keep the inks open overnight, nor any powders to help with drying, the work coming off the press is compliant with even the most stringent environmental regulations — including California’s Prop 65. “We don’t have those laws in Illinois yet, but I am sure they will be coming,” Majewski noted. And when it does, Polpress will be well positioned to capture even more of the work in the Greater Chicago area and beyond. “We didn’t really look at any other presses,” said Majewski. “No one else really had a good option in this particular sheet size.” He further noted that once they got the press installed and really started using the automation and LED-UV curing, he knew there was no going back. With the advanced features the RMGT 9 Series brings to the shop. Majewski found that they could run more work than they ever could before on their old equipment. “The speed and fast make ready make it a speed demon,” he said. During the busy election season last fall, for example, he notes that they had so much work they had the press going 24/7, instead of the usual 24/5.5, but never missed a deadline and was able to open up new markets at the same time. The new RMGT 9 Series press joined a Mitsubishi Diamond Series 40” press that was installed years ago so Polpress is now an all RMGT shop offering their clients everything from high quality brochures, event booklets, community publications, direct mail advertising and presentation materials. Derek Gordon, Regional Manager for Graphco adds, “Roman and I have known each other for over 25 years and I’ve always admired his knowledge of the printing trade. Partnering with Polpress on this investment right in my hometown is a real feather in Graphco’s cap.” Energy conservation and low carbon emissions are important enough to Polpress that they have 3 zero emissions vehicles and 2 charging stations outside of their building so employees can charge their cars while they work. “This new RMGT press uses very little power and the LED-UV inks are VOC free, so we are doing our part for the environment. And we think our print quality is now the best in the city.” While the new press is equipped to do Aqueous coating with the high gloss and excellent rub resistance of LED-UV inks means the highest energy user (IR/Hot Air Dryer) in the pressroom will only run for a few jobs per month. To learn more about Polpress please visit www.polpress.com About RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology) RMGT is among the world’s largest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing presses and the world leader in LED-UV technology with over 450 placements worldwide. Our high-speed, fully-automated presses are respected worldwide for unsurpassed print quality, low total cost of ownership, extreme ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. In partnership with Panasonic, RMGT released LED-UV Curing for Print at DRUPA 2008 and we now offer the only G3 LED-UV technology on the market. Headquartered outside of Hiroshima Japan, RMGT is a joint venture company bringing together the best technology and manufacturing expertise of Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The enhanced product lineup and strengthened manufacturing prowess makes RMGT an indispensable brand for the printing industry. Learn more about RMGT at http://www.ryobimhi.com About Graphco Graphco is the industry’s leading provider of offset, digital, and print finishing solutions. We proudly import the RMGT line of new offset printing presses featuring market-leading LED-UV curing technology, Smart Insta.Color automated make-ready, and our popular Packaging Edition presses. All RMGT presses offer best-in-class reliability and durability. The Graphco Technical Service Team stands behind every RMGT press and Graphco’s reputation for top-notch service is second to none. Since 1976, Graphco has thrived in an ever-changing market place by loyally adhering to our original model for success: Providing best-in-class print production equipment along with reliable and assured technical service. Learn more about Graphco at www.graphco.com |
