Westmont, IL — MAN Roland, the world’s largest manufacturer of web presses, is bolstering its Tower Add-On Program with new expertise and services, provided by recently hired executives who have extensive experience in equipping and upgrading newspaper pressrooms. The company appointed Mark A. Juratich as Manager, Newspaper Add-On Business, effective October 1, to establish an expert source to which newspaper decision makers can turn when they want to upgrade their presses. “This is our signal to the industry that we’re fully equipped to help newspapers cost effectively modernize their pressrooms, regardless of what brand of press they’re running,” says Vincent Lapinski, Senior Vice President of Web Operations for MAN Roland Inc. “Mark spent many years as an engineering executive with Goss Graphic Systems. That expertise will serve Goss users well when they want to add the advantages of MAN Roland technology to their existing presses.” A graduate of Purdue University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, Juratich began his graphic arts career with Rockwell/Goss Graphic Systems in 1986. He moved through the engineering ranks to become an Engineering Supervisor in 1996. Two years later he was named Mechanical Applications Engineering Manager for Goss Graphic Systems. For the past three years, Juratich was Director of Engineering for the Chicago Sun-Times — a Hollinger International publication. During his tenure, Juratich commissioned the paper’s new $140 million printing facility. He also served as consultant for other Hollinger production sites, directing unit rebuilds, new equipment purchases and press modifications. “Mark knows what it takes to make a newspaper pressroom more efficient from the user’s point of view,” says Lapinski. “That makes him a valuable asset for any newspaper decision maker who is seeking to improve his print workflow with a minimal capital investment.” In his new role, Juratich will report directly to Dr. John Evans, MAN Roland’s Director of Technology, who heads both the Commercial Web and Newspaper Project Management teams. He will offer full consulting services to any newspaper executive who is considering tower adds-ons to improve the productivity and color printing capabilities of their pressroom. A second Goss veteran, who was recently hired by MAN Roland, will also add his expertise to the company’s Tower Add-On Program. He is Mark Sievers, who worked for 13 years with the Goss International Corporation. The holder of a BS in Printing Management and Science from RIT, Sievers started with Goss as a Project Analyst in 1987. He became an Installation Supervisor the following year, then progressed through several positions to be appointed Director of Installation Management. Sievers also served as a Sales Manager for Goss. Before joining MAN Roland as Commercial Project Manager, Sievers was Vice President of Bob Ray & Associates Inc., a machinery installation and remanufacturing company. He also reports to Dr. John Evans at MAN Roland Inc. “Mark Sievers’ primary responsibility will be to ensure that our commercial web customers are well cared for,” Lapinski notes. “But he will also use his experience with Goss to assist newspaper executives in selecting tower add-on configurations and control systems that will provide the highest levels of new functionality at the lowest possible cost.” The open-ended architecture of MAN Roland’s press control systems and the flexible nature of its advanced shaftless direct-drive technology make tower add-ons a profitable strategy for newspapers that need to exploit the rising demand for color advertising. By enhancing their existing press lines with MAN Roland add-on units, newspapers can bring more color and higher quality printing to their pages, without rebuilding their pressrooms from scratch. MAN Roland’s position as the leading manufacturer and installer of web presses puts it in an ideal position to handle the engineering and logistical challenges involved in retrofitting presses with advanced tower ad-ons. “We also have the most productive and highest quality printing units in the business,” Lapinski adds. “So we’re confident we will be the first choice of newspapers who want to add more color to their existing presses.”