ACROSS the nation

Sixth KBA Installed At Imagine! Print
SHAKOPEE, MN—A new six-color, 41˝ KBA Rapida 105 Universal perfector with UV capability is now up and running in the 400,000-square-foot facility of Imagine! Print Solutions. The new Rapida—which is equipped with full automation packages, including auto plate loaders, auto washup and a scanning spectrophotometer—is the sixth KBA press installed by Imagine!.

Press Credited For Benny Award
CHICAGO—In 2006, Abbott Printing purchased a five-color, 29˝ Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 74-5-P+L perfector with aqueous coater. A year later, the Maitland, FL-based printer won its first PIA/GATF Benny Award. Art Abbott Jr., co-owner, credits the new Heidelberg for providing the high-quality printing that’s essential in winning the award.

CALIFORNIA

ANAHEIM—Data management and direct mail house Direct Advertising Response transitioned to CTP with the addition of a Heidelberg Prosetter P102 SCL platesetter with Meta Dimension and using Saphira Violet plates. Also purchased were a new five-color Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74 press with aqueous coater and extended delivery, as well as a Polar 115 XT paper cutter.

BAKERSFIELD—A new UniFold automatic folder/gluer, from Brandtjen & Kluge, is now in operation at Sierra Printers, where it is primarily being used for converting pocket folders and small packaging items.

CARSON—Sumi Printing & Binding, which started out in a garage in 1986, has its 30,000-square-foot facility packed with equipment, including a recently installed six-color, 40˝ Mitsubishi Diamond 3000S press with in-line aqueous coater, ColorLink CIP3/4 server and X-Rite closed-loop ink controls.

COLORADO

COLORADO SPRINGS—A new 14x22˝ Kluge EHF Series press, from Brandtjen & Kluge, has added foil stamping and embossing capabilities at Current Inc.

DENVER—Type Etc. purchased a four-color Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 52 perfector with coating capabilities and a Suprasetter A52 thermal platesetter.

ILLINOIS

BARRINGTON—A second six-color Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 102 press was installed at Graphic Arts Studio, a Chicago-area commercial printer specializing in catalogs, annual reports and media guides.

CRYSTAL LAKE—A co-mail service for standard mail customers has been introduced by Waseca, MN-based Brown Printing at its co-mail facility here.

DECATUR—Two new KBA presses have been purchased by Huston Patterson. A six-color, 56˝ Rapida with aqueous coater will be located in the company’s facility here, while a six-color, 40˝ press with UV and aqueous coating capabilities will be delivered to its Sigma Graphics plant in Ottawa, IL.

NILES—SKM Print, a direct mail provider, has invested in a new eight-color Muller Martini Concepta variable size web offset press with sheeter and G.E.C. rewind.

IOWA

WEST BRANCH—An expansion project is now underway at Tidewater Direct, where the printer’s 20,000-square-foot facility will grow to 32,000 square feet and provide additional inventory management and production space to serve customers’ direct mail component needs.

MASSACHUSETTS

PITTSFIELD—Arrow Press used to outsource its larger run process color jobs, but with the recent installation of its new four-color, 29˝ Komori SPICA convertible perfector with automatic ink key setting, the printer is now able to do that work in-house.

MICHIGAN

GRAND RAPIDS—From producing candy and cosmetics packaging to diecut products for car dealerships, Graphic Specialties will be taking advantage of its new 40˝ Kluge V-10 Series foil stamping, embossing and diecutting press.

LIVONIA—Valassis purchased a four-unit Goss Sunday 2000 web press for its Anderson Printing Division here. The 24-page gapless press will be equipped with a Goss Contiweb CS splicer, Ecocool dryer with integrated chill rolls, PFF-3 pinless folder, semi-automatic plate changers and Omnicon controls.

MINNESOTA

MINNETONKA—Production has increased for Wallace Carlson, a full-service commercial printer servicing the Twin Cities, since it purchased a new six-color, 40˝ Mitsubishi Diamond 3000S press with coater.

MISSOURI

KANSAS CITY—DST Output, which provides printing and electronic statement billing solutions, earned certification in the USPS Mail Preparation Total Quality Management (MPTQM) program for its facility here, in El Dorado Hills, CA, and in Hartford, CT.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

HOLLIS—Puritan Press, a commercial offset and digital printer, is now under new management. Kurt Peterson, president, and Michael Ames, a veteran Puritan exec, purchased the company from its founder, Fred Lyford, who is retiring.

NORTH CAROLINA

MOORESVILLE—After moving to “Race City USA” a year ago and opening a 2,500-square-foot printing facility here, Victory Press recently installed a Presstek 34DI press that will help with the company’s 24-hour turnaround of postcards and brochures. Owners Dave and Lori Sirota relocated from West Palm Beach, FL.

OKLAHOMA

TULSA—Printing promotional material for Wal-Mart’s CD/DVD bins, among other work, is now being done six-up (vs. four-up) with a new Presstek 52DI digital offset press acquired by Odyssey Digital Printing.

RHODE ISLAND

EAST PROVIDENCE—American Printing, a retail support services printer, recently purchased a new Multi- feeder MFT 55OIP. The company has reportedly grown 400 percent in the past four years, largely through investments in equipment.

TEXAS

DALLAS—Large yearbook publisher Taylor Publishing has installed a FloClear CS-06 fountain solution system in conjunction with a new Komori SP40 press. The FloClear technology will help the printer meet its green initiatives by reducing waste and improving efficiency.

RICHARDSON—One of the nation’s largest providers of customized, short-run plastic cards has opened a gift card personalization and fulfillment service bureau here. Signature Card’s new facility is packed with personalization equipment from manufacturers such as Ga-Vehren and Atlantic Zeiser.

VIRGINIA

NORFOLK—Goss International has been selected by the Virginian-Pilot, which has a daily circulation of more than 200,000 newspapers, to rebuild its Goss Metroliner presses and to convert 30 pasters to Goss Digital Paster Systems.

WASHINGTON

VANCOUVER—A second manufacturing facility has been opened here by Rose City Printing & Packaging, of Portland, OR. The new 80,000-square-foot plant was needed to handle business growth, which has reportedly doubled in the past three years.

WISCONSIN

FALL RIVER—Schumann Printing recently signed an order with IMC America for two fully automatic Recmi log stackers, overhead conveyor lines and robotic palletizers with empty pallet feeding and full pallet ejection. They will be configured on a new 2x8 Goss Sunday 3000/32 web press to be installed next spring.

MENOMONEE FALLS—Arandell Corp., a top catalog printer, has added a Simco co-mailer, which has dramatically increased its co-mailing capacity and has given customers an alternative way to manage their postal rate increases.

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Across the Nation Editor,
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E-mail: mmichelson@napco.com