 PLACENTIA, CA – April 15, 2020 — Cockrell Enovation, based in Fort Worth, Texas, recently installed the RMGT 9 Series five-color press with LED-UV curing. For over 50 years, they have been leveraging printing technology to produce marketing collateral, packaging, point-of-sale, direct mail, signage and displays in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Their recent investment in offset continues a trend of commercial printers re-defining their digital strategy as the economics of print manufacturing continues to evolve. “In 2002, I had just finished my undergraduate studies,” states John Cockrell, Jr., Managing Director of Cockrell Enovation. “Coming into the family business, my first task was to write a business plan on digital printing. At that point in time, we were trying to drive the valuable part of digital printing. The assumption was that everything would be personalized with variable data… and that's not actually what transpired.” Cockrell describes their third-generation company as a “high touch” company with their clients generally falling into one of two buckets. About half of their customers are trying to solve problems related to some form of distribution, having multiple locations, a dispersed nationwide sales force, or multiple departments looking to streamline that print procurement process. The other half are looking to solve brand critical problems, usually event driven, or fairly complex pieces with a die-cut component or multiple types of coatings. The latest iteration of Cockrell Enovation came in 2009, when they merged the digital print part of their business with their traditional offset print operations. “I had developed our large format division of the company,” continues Cockrell. “I had developed our digital store fronts. So my approach was always skewed to thinking of a digital solution.” Cockrell observes that their business flattened about three to four years ago, without a lot of opportunities for growth. Their typical print run was 7,500 impressions or less, so they made a strategic decision to remove two offset presses and replace them with an HP 10000 and two other Indigo presses. The assumption was that digital could handle the short run commercial work while making them competitive in the digital space. "I took a deep dive into how offset with LED-UV stacks up with the digital print process and the results were startling" “First of all, the click-charge cost model went out of control and it almost put us under,” declares Cockrell. “That’s when I started exploring offset solutions because I knew this wasn’t working. I took a deep dive into how offset with LED-UV stacks up with the digital print process and the results were startling. The more shops and presses that I saw, the more I realized that it's been ingrained in our heads that digital was going to be the less expensive, more efficient solution. The fact is, that assumption is incorrect.” Cockrell observes that the kind of work their clients are looking for is not simply pleasing color, which digital is capable of. Many jobs require the kind of specialty coatings that push the limit of the capabilities of digital. “It was startling to see the efficiencies of the offset side versus the digital side. The reality is that a digital press is just, flat out, not the print manufacturing solution for what we're doing in a commercial environment. From a cost side, it was taking about an hour to run 1,000 sheets, four-over-four. Then with the monthly payment and the click charges that can run from $0.07 to $0.16 per sheet, and the cost for some specialty stocks, offset was a more cost-effective print production solution.” "The reality is that a digital press is just, flat out, not the print manufacturing solution for what we're doing in a commercial environment." Cockrell Enovations evaluated a number of offset press manufacturers such as RMGT, Heidelberg and Komori. “We want to align ourselves with people that are thinking about our business and not just trying to put something on our floor. I think that's where RMGT really stood out. They took the time to understand what we were trying to accomplish and interpret that, as much as humanly possible, to help us explore options to solve print problems for our clients.”
The impact of investing in offset has had a very positive impact on the bottom line at Cockrell Enovations. The RMGT 9 Series press has automatic plate changing technology along with LED-UV curing technology that takes what used to be a 30-minute make-ready consuming 600 to 1,000 sheets down to a fraction of that. “In addition, we’re moving volume off the digital presses. At a thousand sheets per hour, running a job digital for two, three or four hours is just too long. When that happens, you start accumulating quite a bit of all the other hot things that have to get out today. So, we'll be able to move short run jobs over to offset and, obviously, run that with a lower cost model.” “I think the interesting thing is for us it's almost like it's coming full circle,” concludes Cockrell. “When we started with digital we learned to focus on those higher value applications, whether it's variable or online storefront. We believed that as digital technology got more efficient, longer runs jobs and specialty jobs would just migrate over… but, that that didn't happen. Don’t get me wrong, digital has a great place and brings great value in personalized applications that tie in with your online storefronts. But in a day in, day out, print environment, digital is not necessarily your best solution.” “Cockrell Enovations has been an honest evaluator of the current print manufacturing landscape,” comments Kian Hemmen, Director of Sales, Print & Finishing Solutions, the RMGT distributor for the western United States. “They understand that commercial printers will flourish, not only by focusing on high value, high margin work, but also enabling that by choosing the most efficient print manufacturing technology available today. We are proud that offset print is a major part of the production mix and look forward to their continued success.” 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 North America RMGT (RYOBI HMI Graphic Technology Ltd.), a global leader in LED-UV sheetfed offset presses, is represented by a group of three authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in the United States. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. As innovators of the first LED-UV printing system for sheet-fed offset printing in 2008. RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services while building bonds of trust and respecting diverse values. Learn more about GSNA at www.ryobimhi.com
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SOLON, OH – February 25, 2020 — RMGT (RYOBI HMI Graphic Technology Ltd.), a global leader in LED-UV equipped sheetfed offset presses, solidified its North American presence in 2019 with a large number of existing RMGT printers investing in their second press. The strategic decision to merge and integrate the respective press manufacturing strengths of Ryobi Ltd. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) led to a totally revamped RMGT product lineup in the fall of 2015. By eliminating just a few inches off the width of a 40-inch press, RMGT has created economies in footprint, staffing and consumables while still producing a full 8-up sheet and 16-page signature.
In just over four years, this innovation has taken RMGT to a leadership position among offset press manufacturers, to the point where RMGT has become the number one 8-up sheetfed offset press in North America in this category. In this time period, there have been seventy new 9 Series presses delivered to companies from every segment of the printing industry. Included in that remarkable number are nearly 20 multiple RMGT (Ryobi and Mitsubishi) printing press owners. “Looking back on 2019, we are thrilled to see our market share grow in sales of new RMGT offset presses in this 8-up space,” states Kozac Takata, Manager of International Sales and Marketing, RMGT. “After 12 years as a leader in providing LED-UV curing on our offset presses, it is gratifying to see how this technology has changed the business of customers in the commercial print, packaging, and in-plant markets.” The following companies represent a sampling of the nationwide printers who have already invested in their second RMGT press. Push Solutions
Push Solutions, a print service provider based in New Berlin, Wisconsin, commissioned their first RMGT 9 Series press in the spring of 2016. They were already on an incredible growth trajectory in the highly competitive retail marketing, retail packaging and nationwide distribution segment of the print market. “To be honest our strategic plan didn't include a second RMGT 9 in year two since that major investment,” states Nick Bova, Vice President, “but our growth is practically being forced on us. We had to keep our production levels in line with our sales volume.” Push Solutions’ President Brad Flagge adds, “Our first RMGT 9 has been a great producer for us, and we feel our manufacturing cost is significantly less than our competitors, so pairing up on our second press was a natural.”
Taylor Graphics
Taylor Graphics, based in Irvine, CA, is the largest trade only printing facility in Orange County, California. They purchased their first RMGT press in 2017. Investing in LED-UV technology allowed them to run on different substrates, printing on foil board, plastics, and vinyls. “This really open up the door for us to widen our gamut of printing to all of our customers,” states Dean Taylor, President, Taylor Graphics. The second offset press they purchased from RMGT was equipped with a DAK camera system, allowing them to get into the lucrative packaging and pharmaceuticals market. “The system actually takes a picture of every sheet and compares it to the proof, detecting whether the density of color is off, if any text is broken or missing. If we had a smashed blanket or any hickies, the DAK system can identify anything that's different than the original proof.”
Print Direct For Less
Print Direct For Less (PDFL) became a multiple RMGT press shop in 2019 when they made the decision to upgrade to the RMGT 920PF-8+LED-UV Long Perfector press. This 8-up model brings not only faster speeds, but also prints sheets that are 25% larger, giving PDFL far more capacity as well.
“The new perfecting press prints both sides in a single pass,” states Ed Perron, Owner, Print Direct For Less. “We jumped from 6 pages per 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 two to six 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.” Pacific Printing
Pacific Printing, based in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Jose, CA also invested in their second RMGT press in 2019. The RMGT 9 Series press had the same footprint as their older 28-inch press it was replacing, allowing them to expand capacity and capabilities without redesigning their layout. “Compared to a 40-inch press, when we did price comparisons, it was 30-40% less than most manufacturers were quoting us,” states Andrew Goett, President, Pacific Printing. “We felt the RMGT 9 Series was the best ‘bang for our buck.’”
“The common thread among our customers who have added additional RMGT horsepower is their commitment to excellence in print quality and their desire to have pressroom equipment that just runs and runs.” states Kian Hemmen, Western Region Sales Manager—RMGT, Print & Finishing Solutions. “It is also a statement on behalf of the prominent place offset printing continues to have in print manufacturing. In the hybrid print manufacturing environments for commercial printers, managing both offset and digital, we are pleased to see the economics of offset driving higher margins for our customers.” About RMGT North America RMGT (RYOBI HMI Graphic Technology Ltd.), a global leader in LED-UV sheetfed offset presses, is represented by a group of four authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in the United States. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. As innovators of the first LED-UV printing system for sheet-fed offset printing in 2008. RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services while building bonds of trust and respecting diverse values. Learn more about GSNA at www.ryobimhi.com PLACENTIA, CA – March 3, 2020 — Taylor Graphics, based in Irvine, CA, is the largest trade only printing facility in Orange County, California. As part of a growth strategy that began two years ago, Dean Taylor, President of Taylor Graphics, has expanded the services traditionally provided by trade printers by investing in technology that caters to the unique needs of design agencies and brokers that service the packaging and pharmaceutical markets. “We are an ISO certified company with a razor focus on providing print services for the trade,” states Dean Taylor, President of Taylor Graphics. “As such, when we put something in a box and ship it out, nine out of 10 times, our customers don't see it. We're shipping directly to a fulfillment house, or to the end user, the customer of my client. So, for Taylor Graphics and for the design agencies and brokers we work with, we need the absolute assurance that what's going in that box looks perfect from sheet one to sheet 10,000, and that they all look the same.” A unique growth strategy that paying dividends
The path of Taylor Graphics is similar to what many trade shops have experienced. While they provided a lot of the typical commercial print services for agencies and brokers, they noticed that certain packaging jobs for cosmetic companies and pharmaceuticals were being done somewhere else. Since they already had the ability to die-cut and glue, Taylor took the first step of their growth strategy by investing in an offset press that could produce high quality packaging on thicker stocks.
“In 2017 we bought our first RMGT press,” states Taylor. “We went with that press for a couple of reasons. One reason was we always had Mitsubishi presses, and they have treated us very well as far as print quality and durability. We did our due diligence and looked at all the press manufacturers. We are thrilled that we chose the RMGT 926 six-color LED-UV press. This was our first venture into UV offset printing. Investing in LED-UV technology allowed us to run on different substrates, we can print on foil board, we can print on plastics, and vinyls. This really open up the door for us to widen our gamut of printing to all of our customers.” "LED-UV technology allowed us to run on different substrates"
The next stage of their growth strategy had to do with quality control. As an ISO compliant company, they were doing work for medical device companies. The books that they printed had to have zero defects. Initially, this involved a very labor-intensive process of inspecting books after they were all produced.
“The second offset press we purchased from RMGT was equipped with a DAK camera system,” states Taylor. “It actually takes a picture of every sheet and compares it to the proof. The system detects whether the density of color is off, it will pick up if any text is broken or missing. If we had a smashed blanket or any hickies, the DAK system can identify anything that's different than the original proof. Every sheet going through the press gets a number inkjet sprayed on it. When a press run is done, we have a report that shows every number on the sheet that was rejected. In finishing, we can pull out those sheets before it ever hits a folder or any other piece of equipment. That has eliminated the need for inspection after everything's done. We know before it goes to a cutter or a folder that everything's perfect.” RMGT with a DAK Camera System
“So I tell all of our customers that I can print from a business card to a billboard with all the equipment we have in house, from press to wide format to digital to all of our binding equipment. I can make sure that we get it done in time on time and everything looks great.”
“The partnership that we've developed over the past few years with Taylor Graphics has been something I'm extremely proud of,” states Kian Hemmen, Director of Sales, Print & Finishing Solutions, the RMGT distributor for the region. “Watching Taylor Graphics grow from the shop they were seven years ago to what they are today is just exciting. Dean Taylor is a great partner of Print & Finishing Solutions and has become a great friend of mine. I look forward to his success with the two RMGT presses and can't wait for a third one to be installed.” 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 North America RMGT (RYOBI HMI Graphic Technology Ltd.), a global leader in LED-UV sheetfed offset presses, is represented by a group of four authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in the United States. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. As innovators of the first LED-UV printing system for sheet-fed offset printing in 2008. RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services while building bonds of trust and respecting diverse values. Learn more about GSNA at www.ryobimhi.com  RMGT 9 Series joins highly successful 10 Series installed in 2017 ADDISON, IL – February 13, 2020 — When VISOgraphic commissioned their first RMGT in the fall of 2017, the new 10 Series press had to absorb the output of three legacy Heidelberg presses. The pressure was squarely on VISOgraphic's Team to rethink possible. “We were amazed at how quickly we could move dozens of projects per day onto our new RMGT press, but after two years and 60 million impressions it was clear that our rapid growth would soon exceed our capacity,” states John Dahlke, Chief Operating Officer. “So, we decided to order an RMGT 9 Series press to meet our customers demand for high quality LED-UV cured print projects. The footprint, print quality and efficiency of the new press fits perfectly into our all-RMGT pressroom. We are proud to be the first printer in the United States to have both the RMGT 10 series and 9 Series combination.” A Commercial Printer with a visionHow does a commercial printer in the highly competitive Chicago print market grow so quickly? One key to VISOgraphic’s rapid rise has been the clear vision that the Dahlke family had for their company, starting well before their first RMGT investment in 2017. They knew that in order to compete and succeed they had to bring a high degree of value to every customer engagement. Under the leadership of Bob Dahlke Sr. and his two sons, Bob Jr. and John, the VISOgraphic team manages every aspect of their customer’s projects from conception to completion. “We’ve found that a highly personal approach builds great customer relationships that last for many years,” says Bob Dahlke Jr. “When we added the tremendous advantages of LED-UV curing and vastly improved print quality that our RMGT 10 Series press provided, our growth really took off. The RMGT brand has been a critical growth driver for our company. Above all else, RMGT gives our employees state of the art equipment to make their jobs easier, while offering our clients a better product offering – all at a better price --- with more speed and accuracy. An overall winning value proposition for our clients.” Diversifying production of extremely high value-add products with LED-UV Practically overnight, John Dahlke’s pressroom team began production of extremely high value-add products, such as: soft-touch with high-gloss spot UV for high-end travel industry projects; chemical emboss applications for corporate presentation pieces; and, CR80 plastic cards for very long run, direct mail programs. “Since we use LED-UV curing for all these projects our learning curve was very short and our vendors constantly brought us new coating materials to enhance our projects,” observes Dahlke. “Frankly, I believe we were testing some of these materials for the first time in commercial use, but time after time the jobs just ran fine.” The RMGT 10 Series press that was installed in 2017 is equipped with a special package that allows plastics to run trouble free. The AMS Spectral LED UV curing system has passed every test of curing inks and coatings at full press speed of 16,200 sheets per hour. VISOgraphic has always provided an impressive on time and on budget track record with their quality conscious customer base. Understandably, the decision to funnel the work of three legacy presses onto one platform was initially a concern in the fall of 2017. John Dahlke remembers, very well, the day he really relaxed. “We were backed up with a lot of new work at the beginning of 2018. I knew we had made the right decision purchasing the RMGT 10 after we had one of the biggest production weeks in the over 70-year history of our company. In that one-week period, we printed 1.3 million impressions with 120 make-readies representing all types of work. We were printing on stocks ranging from 40# offset to 24-point cover - from one color to six color jobs with spot and UV coating. We exceeded our own lofty expectations of the press and we had only been running the press for a few months at the time.” The production floor where it all starts The ink was barely dry on VISOgraphic's sales contract when Bob Dahlke was invited to tour the RMGT factory in Fukuyama, Japan. The RMGT Management Team rolled out the red carpet for another second time RMGT customer. “After having two plus years of round-the-clock production success under our belts, I knew what a great press RMGT builds. Seeing the clean, well-organized and productive factory solidified our decision to moved ahead with another RMGT. Not only did Katsushi Hirokawa, President of RMGT, explain the manufacturing process for building our new press, but then his team showed me every step in the manufacturing process on the factory floor. I was blown away by the build quality and lean manufacturing process being used. They even showed me sheets being printed during testing on a press that was nearing completion. We can’t wait to see our new press roll up its first jobs on our floor."
The new RMGT 9 Series press that VISOgraphic ordered from Graphco at the end of 2019 will feature RMGT’s well known Insta.Color makeready technology, a revolutionary new AI calibrated feeding system that optimizes throughput automatically and the latest automation package from the leader in the 8-up press market. “The VISOgraphic, RMGT and Graphco partnership has been rewarding for everyone and we look forward to helping our friends at VISOgraphic reach their ambitious growth goals,” states Derek Gordon, Graphco’s Midwest Regional Manager. “Being aligned with such a great organization has been a real pleasure. It will be exciting to see how far and how fast our friends at VISOgraphic will grow their business with their all-RGMT pressroom." 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 North America RMGT (RYOBI HMI Graphic Technology Ltd.), a global leader in LED-UV sheetfed offset presses, is represented by a group of four authorized sales and service centers that serve commercial printers, offset packaging converters and in-plant printers in the United States. This network constitutes the single largest offset press sales and service team in North America. As innovators of the first LED-UV printing system for sheet-fed offset printing in 2008. RMGT continues to apply their technological expertise and creativity for constant innovation, providing the printing industry with meaningful products and services while building bonds of trust and respecting diverse values. Learn more about GSNA at www.ryobimhi.com 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.
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 |
