KENNESAW, Ga., July 26, 2006 – Etheridge Printing Company, a general commercial printer located in Dallas, recently added a 6-color Speedmaster CD 102 with coater from Heidelberg to meet tighter customer delivery schedules by increasing capacity and speed in the pressroom. The shop also added a POLAR 115 X high-speed cutter and a Stahlfolder USA B 26 from Heidelberg to increase efficiencies in its bindery and keep pace with faster pressroom operations. Since its installation of the Speedmaster CD 102, Etheridge Printing Company has cut make-ready times in half and reports a 30 percent increase in pressroom production. The shop runs the new press at approximately 14,000 impressions per hour to print high-quality point-of-purchase display work, newsletters, annual reports, brochures and marketing materials. With the recent gains in capacity and quality, the shop has been able to expand its capabilities by printing on heavier stock. “We've always been a Heidelberg shop, and the addition of the Speedmaster CD 102 to our pressroom demonstrates our commitment to investing in the best technologies to deliver quality work to our customers,” said Joe Johnson, president, Etheridge Printing Company. “Heidelberg has been a long-time partner in helping us achieve our business goals and satisfy our customers.” Heidelberg's Speedmaster family of presses offers a high level of automation and productivity for the large- and mid-format markets. The Speedmaster CD 102 is a cost-effective and versatile press, due to advanced ergonomics and state-of-the-art feeder and delivery systems. With almost all peripheral devices controlled by the Prinect CP2000 Center's touchscreen technology, the Speedmaster CD 102 provides the ultimate level of functionality and convenience for shops like Etheridge Printing Company. The CD 102 is available in an array of custom configurations to meet the needs of all types of printing companies. “The Speedmaster CD 102 is the ideal press for mid-sized shops that are growing their businesses and expanding capabilities,” said Roland Krapp, vice president, sheetfed and Prinect product management, Heidelberg USA. “This press can dramatically shorten turn-around times by reducing make-readies and producing high-quality work at fast production speeds, thus helping shops meet their customers' needs.” To complement its new pressroom efficiencies, Etheridge Printing Company added a POLAR 115 X high-speed cutter and a Stahlfolder USA B 26 from Heidelberg to its bindery. With the new equipment in place, Johnson reports that Etheridge Printing is producing more work on one cutter than it previously produced using two, enabling the company to eliminate a bindery shift while increasing capacity. “We have seen significant gains in productivity and quality with our new Heidelberg equipment in place,” said Johnson. “We've always taken pride in our fast turn-around times and the high-end, high-quality work we produce for our customers. The new Heidelberg equipment just makes it easier for us to do our job even better.” Founded in 1898, Etheridge Printing Company is a family-owned and operated general commercial printer offering a full range of offset and digital printing services, as well as fulfillment and storage facilities for its national client base. Johnson reports that under the leadership of fourth-generation owner Howard Etheridge, sales at Etheridge Printing have quadrupled, the workforce has doubled and the shop has added more than 64,000 square feet, for a total facility size of 80,000 square feet.