KBA North America, a leading web offset press manufacturer based in York, Pa., is announcing that Sprint Press, Inc., a Texas-based commercial printer, has agreed to purchase a KBA Compacta 215 twin-web commercial web offset press. The web press is slated to begin live operation at the end of 2005. “My purchase decision was based upon productivity and quality,” explains Bob Williams, president of Sprint Press. “One without the other was unacceptable. After extensive research, a visit to Drupa and a final visit to Offset Print Veneta, the top-quality printer of the Italian fashion market, all the pieces fell into place. After seeing an extremely difficult job made ready and printing beautifully within one half-hour, my decision for KBA was made.” The new Compacta 215, which boasts individual drives for the subassemblies, minigaps on the plate and blanket cylinders, an auto-convertible gripper folder and an array of other automation modules to reduce make ready times, is “the perfect production tool” for the quality-conscious commercial market, where competition is intensifying as run lengths steadily diminish. The press for Sprint has a maximum web width of 39 1/2-inches and a maximum rated speed of 55,000 cylinder revolutions per hour. The Compacta 215 for Sprint will have eight double printing couples configured in line to allow the full-color print production plus spot colors or coatings that are now a routine feature in this market. The Compacta 215 will print 32-page full-color products with two webs alongside 16-page copies featuring spot colors and coatings (up to 8 over 8) with one web. Although the Compacta 215 has a cylinder circumference of just 22¾-inch, the minigaps and gripper folder enable it to print the 11-inch “bleed” format that is popular in the U.S.. The modular design of the press means it can be extended easily at a later date, i.e. by adding turner bars or a sheeter, to keep pace with market demand.   Sprint Press Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas, was established in 1968 by Bob Williams, with his partners James Anderson and Jeff Garrison. Today, Sprint Press is one of the premier print enterprises in the south-west with three sheetfed offset presses plus a commercial web offset press. In 1985 the company started up a second successful print operation, Sprint Denver in Colorado, headed by Kent Zwingelburg. The Sprint strategy of using technology, quality and service to stay ahead of its rivals has certainly paid off. The combined sales of the Sprint Group have grown to $35m as of 2004.