manroland Inc.

WESTMONT, IL—MAN Roland, the world’s second-largest press manufacturer, is on the verge of becoming an independent, publicly traded company. MAN AG and Allianz Capital Partners GmbH have agreed via a letter of intent to create a joint venture to purchase MAN Roland Druckmaschinen and take it public. Under the deal, MAN AG would have 35 percent equity in the company. Top MAN executives believe the move will allow it to sharpen its focus on providing customers with more productive ways to print. “An independent MAN Roland will be a more responsive MAN Roland for North American printers,” notes Yves Rogivue, CEO of MAN Roland Inc. “We’ve always

Editor's note: While not a blog, exactly, Dennis E. Mason, of Mason Consulting Inc., kindly agreed to share some of his first-hand impressions of IPEX 2006 direct from the fairgrounds. IPEX 2006 Day 2: Wednesday at IPEX proved to be a much better day than its opener on Tuesday. Crowds were good, and exhibitors were generally quite pleased with their booth traffic. IPEX veterans say that the second and third days are usually the best attended, so everyone seemed to think that things went according to plan. The day began with a Xerox briefing, featuring CEO Anne Mulcahy talking about where the company is going.

In a traditional industry like the graphic arts, VistaPrint has found success by taking a bit of a non-conventional, forward-thinking approach. It all started with the vision of Robert Keane, president and CEO, when he founded the company in 1995. Keane’s idea included developing technology that delivers high-quality, low-cost graphic design and printing to small businesses and consumers while still providing premium customer service. VistaPrint is applying the principles of computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) to drive out costs and improve response times. It connects its customers directly to its CIM chain by providing a layout program that they can use on the company’s Website,

Bindery Gear Heads to East Coast Shop LEBANON, PA—Colortech Inc., a full-service commercial printer, recently installed a Vijuk 321-T saddlestitcher. Things Get Bigger in Texas After Install MESQUITE, TX— IntegraColor Inc. has purchased a five-color, 81˝ KBA Rapida 205 sheetfed press, making IntegraColor the first printer in the Southwest with 81˝ litho capabilities. The press has been configured with a special board-handling package and is also to be equipped with UV facilities for printing on plastics. It also incorporates an ICS slitter system and non-stop pile changing for the feeder and delivery. KBA has added its own Densitronic quality control

Brad Baird, lead press operator at Litho Technical Services in Bloomington, MN, was in a tight spot. The six-color, 40˝ Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 with aqueous coater he works on was down, and there was no easily recognizable cause to be found. Fortunately for Baird, the press came equipped with remote diagnostic capabilities. “The press would not run,” Baird recalls. “We got online remotely with Heidelberg’s service center in Atlanta and they determined that the side-guide sheet detector control was not working properly.” The manufacturer’s technician was able to shut off the detector remotely—something Baird admits he didn’t know how to do. Getting a Helping Hand “It

NORTH CHELMSFORD, MA—Buoyed by tremendous growth in the education market, Courier Corp. is installing a third MAN Roland Lithoman IV press this fall as part of a $21 million expansion at its Kendallville, IN, plant. The second press went online in December of 2005 and the third is slated for action this December, according to Peter Tobin, Courier executive vice president. The $21 million initiative includes a 60,000-square-foot expansion that will boost Kendallville’s facility to 250,000 square feet. The addition is geared toward accommodating new bindery equipment that’s still to be announced. McCain and Smyth sewing units are also being installed. It has been a

DETROIT—For most folks, Detroit in December is a cold destination. But the Motor City area has proven to be hot for MAN Roland. So hot, in fact, the company decided it was the perfect location to hold its annual Editor's Dinner and to show off two of its large, innovative customers in the region. First up was a Sunday evening visit to the Detroit Newspapers site, where production of The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press was observed—after a delay resulting from the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers game going into overtime. After the Lions fell in the extra stanza, the six new MAN Roland

Heidelberg Puts Accent on Education KENNESAW, GA—The calendar said December, but the menu at Heidelberg's recent "Brats & Dots" customer event gave it the feel of an Oktoberfest, minus the beer. This open house at the company's Print Media Demonstration Center (PMDC) was followed by two days of classes for printers in its Print Media Academy and a briefing for industry editors. On the first day, printers were able to witness live demonstrations of Heidelberg's prepress, press, direct imaging and postpress solution in the 33,000-square-foot PMDC facility. The clear stars of the show were its new 40˝ Speedmaster XL 105 sheetfed press platform and

arizona SCOTTSDALE—Armed with a new Kodak Nexpress 2100 digital press and Kodak Nexglosser glossing unit, Sir Speedy Printing Scottsdale now can meet growing demand for short turnaround color printing and glossing. Since the installation a few months ago, the company reports it has gained new business from customers it previously could not service. illinois HARVEY—Andrews Printing has installed a four-color Printmaster PM 52 from Heidelberg. It replaces the shop's Printmaster GTO 52-2, which previously handled the shop's four-color jobs in two runs. Schiller ParK—The Business Press, now in its 26th year in business, has replaced its four-color Heidelberg GTO with a new five-color Printmaster

The sheetfed offset printing market continues to feel pressure—be it from rival markets or outside forces such as pricing battles and shrinking run lengths. As more economical digital print runs extend, and affordable web press runs shorten, manufacturers involved in the small- and medium-format (29˝ and smaller) sheetfed space are equipping their wares with the capabilities needed to compete—and win. “The competition from the web market is becoming more noticeable, but when it comes to the short-run color market, web presses have a number of things going against them,” contends Michael Iburg, product manager, KBA North America. “On a sheetfed press, makeready time is much