Americans Trek to H+H Open House
BIELEFELD, GERMANY—For any printer, trade binder or mailing house interested in specialized finishing equipment, ranging from sophisticated in-line mailing machinery and miniature folders on up to 62x75˝ map folders, this quaint German town located 60 miles southwest of Hannover was the center of the graphic arts universe recently.
More than 1,000 visitors from around the world, including a U.S group organized by MBO America, attended a four-day open house at the headquarters of Herzog + Heymann (H+H), arguably the world leader in mailing and specialized folding equipment.
Four separate halls were set up for demonstrations featuring 21 H+H and MBO machines, as well as equipment from partnering manufacturers. KL112 miniature folders are sold in America only by Vijuk Equipment.
The U.S. contingent included Raymond D'Aguiar, Area Trade Bindery, Burbank, CA; Frank Liedtke, Digital Imaging, Addison, IL; Charles Michalec, Cedar Graphics, Hiawatha, IA; Dan Mooney, Olympic Bindery, Broadview, IL; Tom Orrben, Banta Direct, Chanhassen, MN; Mark Steputis, Vision Graphics, Loveland, CO; and George and Betty Webb, Meredith Webb, Burlington, NC. MBO America hosts were Hans Max, president and CEO, Klaus Beckbissinger, Pete Brousseau, Bernie Gruber, DeWaine Johnson and Hartmut Sohn.
To help customers avoid being considered as commodity providers—and, in turn, charging commodity pricing—the partnership of MBO and H+H provides new, value-added possibilities. For example, H+H provides highly automated equipment for manufacturing direct mail pieces in-line. They can incorporate timed cutting, perforations and scoring, ink-jet personalization and addressing, card tipping, punching and remoistenable glue, among other value-added components.
Equipment shown of special note at the open house included an MBO B26-S/44 Perfection buckle folder featuring a FP95 palletized feeder, Rapidset and Navigator control with automated fold roller adjustment, and the new ASP 66-ME.
Also included were an MBO B21/64X buckle folder with a continuous feeder, VIVAS, MC and Rapidset control; an H+H ILS glue system for producing 16-page booklets, a processor-controlled gatefold plate and the A56 mobile delivery; and an H+H M7.46 map folding unit with MBO continuous feeder, accordion folds with one roll fold and the new Bograma punching and diecutting unit.
Illustrating high-speed, three-up finishing was a configuration incorporating an Ehret reel sheeter, an MBO eight-page Perfection folding unit with high-speed guides and a Palamides BA 700 automatic banding delivery.
For direct mail applications, an MBO B21/4 buckle folder with a pile feeder was shown with the new Pick + Place tip-on machine, MikroJet ink-jet imaging for personalization and a BAS/FSA 450 stacker delivery. Double-stream map folding capabilities were illustrated with an H+H M7.58/142 6.4 folder with a Mabeg palletized feeder and an MBO SBAP-82-ME delivery.
"This high-tech equipment provides our customers with faster turnarounds, numerous imposition possibilities and the flexibility to produce a wide range of products," notes Max. "The merger and business relationship between MBO and H+H is excellent; we are now working hand in hand."
The merger Max refers to took place in January 2000 when MBO Binder & Co. assumed 74 percent of the shares of Herzog+Heymann, with General Manager Hans Heiner Kirwald—a 46-year H+H veteran—maintaining 75 percent and Dirk Stuehmeier 25 percent, respectively, of the remaining 26 percent ownership.
"The merger of H+H with the MBO group has achieved great success in a very short amount of time," says Max. "And this successful partnership has much to do with our relationship with Mr. Kirwald, plus all of the engineers who help meet the customized needs of customers."
