Making Big Impressions

Holger Garbrecht, the new president and CEO of KBA North America, took a few minutes to answer some questions regarding his company, the marketplace, new technology and the upcoming Drupa exhibition.

As a relative newcomer to the American printing market, what are your observations of the U.S. printing industry in comparison to that of Western Europe?

Holger Garbrecht: The U.S. market is more diverse. An example is that many printers are looking more toward large-format printing or long presses with UV and high automation. On the other hand, we are working with many customers that are looking for entry-level presses that will allow them to step up to a larger format size.

The American entrepreneurial spirit is what brought me to this market. Americans enjoy expanding their businesses by entering new markets to ensure their growth. This is one of the many reasons why I joined KBA; I appreciate being able to offer printers all format sizes, from 20˝ to 81˝.

KBA stresses its ability to offer customized press configurations, in a range of press sizes, to meet customers’ individual requirements. Why is this so critical in today’s marketplace?

Garbrecht: Printers are investing in highly automated presses that can produce materials more efficiently than ever before. One KBA example is our 2007 GATF award-winning Sensoric Infeed System that allows our presses to run faster with less waste and dramatically reduced makeready times. At the same time, printers want presses that can run a wider range of substrates, from paper to board to plastic. This all results in higher profitability and, equally important, more diversity in the printer’s product portfolio.

What do you expect to be the predominant themes when the Drupa exhibition opens in Germany this spring?

Garbrecht: Printers always expect to see the leading technology at the Drupa show, and this one will be no different. At Drupa 2004, we introduced a completely new portfolio, including our 81˝ Rapida 205 press and our 20˝ Genius 52 UV press. This time, our focus will be on enhancing the large-format products for even greater productivity; we will also highlight quality and color management systems.

Attendees may also see something new and exciting from KBA in the half-size market.

One of your major competitors will be debuting two large-format sheetfed offset press models at Drupa. How will this change the competitive industry landscape, if at all, within the U.S. market?

Garbrecht: Competition is healthy, and KBA has almost 40 years of experience in large-format printing. To develop, manufacture, install and train customers on a large-format press takes extensive education and knowledge that only time can provide.

We recently installed a 56˝ press in the U.S. with eight printing units, multiple coaters, dryer, perfecting, etc. We can do this expertly because we have vast experience from 40 years of manufacturing large-format presses. What is amazing is that my company does not have just one format model; we offer 51˝, 56˝, 64˝, 73˝ and 81˝ models, along with UV, roll-to-sheet, in-line slitting and perfecting technology available to create what best fits the customer’s needs. With these options, customers can grow as packaging, book or commercial printers.

Another example of a recent customer is a commercial printer in New Jersey that purchased a 56˝ eight-color, four-over-four KBA press with coater and in-line slitting. This press can produce in one pass either two 16-page finished signatures in perfecting mode or, in straight printing, one 32-page with eight colors. We also just installed two very interesting 51˝ presses: one with a roll-to-sheet feeder for a publication printer, and another with a coater up front for special packaging applications.

KBA North America started selling consumables more than a year ago. Given the trend among industry suppliers to be total solutions providers, are there any plans to expand your hardware offerings into the prepress and/or postpress markets?

Garbrecht: We have always been viewed as a consultant to our customers. Some large packaging printers engage us in meetings with their end users, so they can be sure they are offering a custom package. As a 190-year-old company, KBA has a very long history of partnerships with its customers.

So, offering prepress and postpress solutions has to be part of this equation. KBA is very smart in focusing on its core competencies—being the global leader in printing press innovation and technology. So we choose to partner with leading vendors such as Eastman Kodak, xpedx and Colter & Peterson, just to name a few.

Extended warranties, press self-diagnostic capabilities and scheduled maintenance plans are being emphasized by several offset press manufacturers. What is KBA doing on these fronts?

Garbrecht: We have had remote maintenance technology on our presses for more than 10 years, and every day we offer many extensive training, maintenance and service programs, each customized to the printer’s needs.

At KBA, each press is built specifically to the exact needs of each particular printer. In fact, with most presses, our German manufacturing team installs the press in conjunction with our U.S. service organization. This guarantees a smooth installation, so the press can produce as soon as possible. We often find that after a short period, printers want additional training on everything from press operations to maintenance and, here again, we pride ourselves on offering flexible service solutions.

We are constantly improving our capabilities in service and training, and will continue to expand it even further in the near future.

Why is automation so key to the success of printing firms today?

Garbrecht: Society is extremely focused on efficiencies, no matter what industry you are in. We know printers’ margins are continually being squeezed, and the only way to maintain margins is to produce a printed product in less time with fewer resources. It is all about net sheets in the delivery.

For example, our Rapida presses can run from 40-lb. to 48-pt. with no gripper adjustments. This integrated, standard time-saving feature, along with sidelay-free infeed and fully automatic plate loading, are prime examples of KBA’s leadership in press automation.

Ideally, automation should be integrated with an ongoing training program to ensure maximum functionality. We recently introduced professional development seminars; this initiative is focused on providing training after the press has been installed to provide press operators education in a hands-on environment. For any printing company, post-installation training is extremely important to ensure that automation is being optimized. PI

Drupa 2008 will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany, from May 29 to June 11, 2008. For more information, call Messe Düsseldorf North America at (312) 781-5180 or visit www.mdna.com .