LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. September 11, 2007 -- With corporate headquarters located in the Chicago suburb of Lincolnshire, Ill., Mitsubishi Lithographic Presses has an abiding affinity for all things Windy City. Judging by the recent flurry of Mitsubishi press purchases, the feeling among Chicagoland printers is definitely mutual.
"We compared several different presses from Mitsubishi, Komori, MAN Roland and Heidelberg," said John Schiele, president of Schiele Graphics in Elk Grove Village. "After seeing some presses installed and doing live demonstrations, we felt the Mitsubishi Diamond 3000LS was the perfect press for us. We've traditionally been a MAN Roland house, but buying the Mitsubishi was an easy decision."
Schiele Graphics, a 190-employee sheetfed and web operation, installed the six-color, 40-inch press at the end of April. It was the second press in the United States equipped with SimulChanger, Mitsubishi's automated system for changing plates on all the printing units in one simultaneous operation. Schiele Graphics will install an identical press in September.
Schiele Graphics prints one billion sheetfed and web pieces annually, including point-of-purchase materials, sales and marketing collateral, and direct mail. The company prides itself on delivering high-quality printing faster and less expensively than its competition.
"The Diamond 3000LS with the SimulChanger has probably been the best press I've ever bought," Schiele said. "We've experienced tremendous uptime. Being able to change six plates in just over a minute in this day and age is making all the difference in the world. We can produce two or three more jobs a day with fewer waste sheets. I'm excited about getting the two presses up and running together."
Edison Press, a trade printer in Des Plaines, installed its first Mitsubishi press in August to add speed and further automation to its printing production. The six-color, 40-inch Diamond 3000S with coater joined two older six-color, 40-inch presses with coating units. It replaced two 40-inch presses — a four-color and a six-color — that did not have coaters.
"We'll print three short-run jobs in a row and then print a 300,000-sheet job," said Rich Wyka, president of the family-owned business. "Buying the new press has given us higher running speeds, more efficient makereadies and a higher degree of automation to remain competitive with other Chicagoland printers."
With 22 employees and a 24,000-square-foot facility, Edison Press prints envelopes for area envelope manufacturers, along with outsourced work from local printers.
Wyka said the company was impressed by Mitsubishi's reputation in the marketplace and the press's performance.
"We heard many good comments about Mitsubishi from other printers," he said. "The operation of the press is very straightforward. Everything makes sense. The print quality is impressive. The press gets into register fast and holds register throughout the run."
Installations heat up this summer
Four Diamond 3000 series presses with tower coaters were installed at different locations in the Chicago metropolitan area in July 2007.
Chicago printer M&G Graphics is another first-time Mitsubishi press buyer that selected the reliable Diamond 3000S. The five-color press is making it easier for the 23-year-old family-managed firm to service many of Chicago's premier institutions. Since 1984, M&G has printed brochures, mailers, postcards and annual reports for a client list that includes the Chicago Park District, Field Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Historical Society and Morton Arboretum.
"The quality requirements of our customers is quite high," said Bob Meyer Sr., plant manager. "The Diamond 3000S is surpassing their requirements. We are able to run 300-line screens, and the work is beautiful. As far as color, clarity, registration and dot structure, the press is doing a wonderful job."
Envision Graphics in Bloomingdale caters to brokers, manufacturers and commercial ends users. The printer also produces marketing pieces designed exclusively for DISH Network retailers, providing a vital link between DISH Network and satellite TV customers. The six-color Diamond 3000S is the company's fourth Mitsubishi press.
Zoom Graphics, Inc., a commercial printer that manages project consultation all the way through delivery, installed a six-color Diamond 3000S at its new Schaumburg manufacturing plant.
From its Schaumburg location, M13 Graphics specializes in fast-turnaround, full-color printing for national clients. Online document ordering 24 hours a day streamlines production, enabling the printer to offer cycle times of 24 to 48 hours on many projects. The six-color Diamond 3000LX is being used to print everything from business cards, postcards and flyers to calendars, pocket folders and plastic membership cards. 
In addition to the preceding companies, Downers Grove-based Versatile Card Technology, Inc. (VCT) has announced plans to purchase a Diamond 3000 series press. Established in 1986 to service the direct marketing industry, VCT has grown into a multinational manufacturer of plastic cards.
Chicago suburbs a hotbed for satisfied Mitsubishi press users
As its name indicates, Integrated Graphics, Inc. in St. Charles focuses on creating a completely integrated look for its clients. The firm complements traditional offset printing with digital printing, specialty projects, graphic design and advertising. The company chose the five-color Diamond 3000S as the best press to produce a growing volume of high-caliber commercial projects, according to Keith Murphy, president.
"Our customers have been very pleased with the speed and print quality of the Diamond 3000S," Murphy said.
AGI Media, a division of MeadWestvaco Corp.'s Consumer Packaging Group based in Melrose Park, provides innovative design, printing and packaging solutions for major film studios, music labels and multimedia markets worldwide. The installation of a Diamond 3000LX sheetfed press equipped with an inline ultraviolet (UV) curing system has contributed to the overall graphic impact of finished products. AGI Media outfitted the Diamond 3000LX with Mitsubishi's special plastics package — optional features designed to eliminate marking, warping and static problems commonly associated with printing on synthetic substrates.
Full-color booklets, posters, direct mail and marketing materials make up a large percentage of Kelmscott Press, Inc.'s print volume. Scott Voris, president of the Aurora-based company, cites relationship building as a key element in the decision to install a six-color Diamond 3000S.
"The Mitsubishi organization showed a definite desire to work with Kelmscott," Voris recalled. "It's exciting to be treated like a partner by a major manufacturer. We were very pleased with the installation, and the service has been exceptional."