manroland Inc.

BY MARK SMITH To those outside the graphic arts, the end product of printing probably hasn't seemed to change all that much since the days of Gutenberg. It's still text and images reproduced on paper. The industry generally hasn't been thought of as a hotbed of innovation, at least not until lately. From the mid 1980s and carrying into the '90s, digital technology was said to be revolutionizing printing. But as Printing Impressions magazine marks its 45th year of tracking the industry, a look back over the decades shows an industry in a constant state of change. Some big, some small. It also reveals

By Caroline Miller When you first meet Doug Mann, the first thing you notice is his positive attitude. Mann, president of Gannett Offset/Minneapolis, just exudes enthusiasm. Frankly, he's got a lot to be happy about: In the past two years, Gannett Offset/Minneapolis has witnessed a dramatic turnaround. Since Mann took over, the company has gone from $34 million in sales to more than $60 million. It's the kind of story that few printing operations are able to tell these days. Aside from serving as a satellite printer for USA Today, the plant was recognized recently with the Gannett Offset Commercial Print Site of the

By W.P. Jaspert European Correspondent OFFENBACH, GERMANY—In these days of economic stagnation it takes a lot of courage to launch a major new product. But that is exactly what MAN Roland, headquartered here, has done with the recent launch of the Roland 900 XXL sheetfed offset press. While initial production will produce only 12 to 18 presses a year for the world, the people responsible in Germany look forward to selling more presses annually very soon. The only serious rival is KBA-Planeta. MAN Roland claims by its technology to be the world leader now with the Roland XXL, based on the successful sales of the Roland

by chris bauer Read all about it: The latest generation of newspaper presses are more than black-and-white machines churning out The Daily Rag. Color is here to stay—and newspaper press manufacturers are providing a column's worth of features and automated functions to advance newspaper printing beyond its traditional role. "Ever increasing color expansion is an ongoing trend in the American and global newspaper market," says David Stamp, global director of marketing for Goss International. "This drives four-high tower addition projects to existing installed presses—a very topical subject in the United States in 2003." Stamp sees many of his customers investing in press enhancements to

Enovation Graphic Systems announced it has integrated Fuji Photo Film U.S.A.'s Graphic Systems Division into Enovation's current organization. In other news, Enovation has appointed regional sales vice presidents for its four recently realigned sales territories. Tim Young, formerly president of Nelson-Keystone and recently announced as southwest regional director for Enovation, is now regional sales vice president, West. The West sales region includes 10 western states. John Solwold, formerly Enovation's west regional vice president, is responsible for the new Central sales region. The Central sales region includes 11 central and mountain states. Joe Thornhill, formerly president of Taylor Impression, is now regional sales vice president

By Mark Smith Mature used to be a polite way of saying old and on the brink of decline, if not already sliding down the hill. By introducing a culture of healthier eating, regular exercise and improved medical care, the baby boom generation has shattered perceptions about aging. Consider that 40ish baseball and football players now are being given multi-year contract extensions. So what should one read into the fact that web offset printing often is referred to as a mature technology and industry? For the technology, it's a testament to the quality, strength and relative stability of the process. Still, it is possible

By Erik Cagle Don't get Jerry Williamson wrong. The chairman of Dallas-based Williamson Printing loves being involved with printing industry associations. But truth be known, Williamson feels the associations have done as much for him and his company as he has done for them. And that is saying a lot. "If you keep your eyes and ears open, (participating in associations) can be very rewarding," notes Williamson, selected the 2003 recipient of the Harry V. Quadracci VISION award by the Web Offset Association (WOA) of Printing Industries of America. "The friendships and business acquaintances that I've made have been invaluable." The award is given

WESTMONT, IL—Printers who want to connect with customers from the creative side of the business should consider providing them with more information about the printing process, according to a recent survey conducted by MAN Roland. More than 87 percent of the creatives pooled declared that they need to be more knowledgeable about the printing process. Responding to a separate question, 91 percent say they would be willing to attend a free seminar to acquire more graphic arts expertise. "Clearly, a lack of communication exists between printers and creatives," says Yves Rogivue, CEO of MAN Roland. "Our study shows that the gap today seems to

by chris bauer According to heatset web press manufacturers, an intense war is raging—and they aren't talking about Iraq. The war they speak of is a pricing war—and it is being fought among commercial printers. This economic conflict is necessitating higher productivity and press availability to increase efficiency and, in turn, generate profits. "This calls for higher production speeds with higher circulations and a reduction in makeready times and waste due to a higher degree of automation," says Erik Rehmann of Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA). "Additional paper savings are achieved by reducing the size of the cylinder circumference—with mini-gap technology and the use

Workflow Management Gets CEO PALM BEACH, FL—Gary W. Ampulski has been appointed president and CEO of Workflow Management. Ampulski brings to the position strong financial performance and hands-on experience in printing systems and services. Most recently he served as president and CEO of TAB Products, Vernon Hills, IL, a publicly held company. There he reportedly improved operating results, enhanced the management team, reduced costs and increased shareholder value by more than 175 percent in less than two years. California Printers Merge WATSONVILLE, CA—ColorAd Printers and Watsonville Press have joined forces to form PRINTWORX, which offers digital prepress, proofing and printing options. The new company has