Appleton, Wisconsin - Baer Printing & Design, a mid-size commercial printing company in the heart of America's largest paper and printing centers south of Green Bay, recently acquired a new 4-color RYOBI 754 press with perfector.

In addition to a wide variety of local and national customers, including major paper manufacturers who demand high quality printing on their products, Jim Baer and his team of nine serve one of the most demanding "big-box" retailers in North America.

As his business with them has grown, Baer turned to Ryobi for his next high-speed multicolor perfecting press and acquired the 6-up RYOBI 754 perfector press.  Baer has owned and operated presses from top German and Japanese manufacturers including Ryobi.

"No question:  this Ryobi 6-up press is the most reliable and operator friendly press we've ever operated," said Baer.  "It's the flagship press for our business today because of its print quality and a low cost per printed sheet."

"I'll take running Ryobi equipment over any other press-anytime, everytime," adds Baer Printing lead pressman Bob Van Asten.  "Other Japanese and German presses we've used are fussy to operate and parts are extremely expensive.  Not so with every single piece of Ryobi equipment we've run, from their duplicators all the way up to the 754."

Van Asten noted the 23"x 29" press is at register in 10-15 sheets, making it practical for short-run jobs and getting makereadies on long run jobs quick, pain-free-and with no expensive paper waste.

Baer said reduced costs per impression and quick makereadies on the RYOBI 754 increases the total profitability of printing.  The press is also supporting expansion of his company's pre-designed papers as well as his specialty business announcements and wedding invitations line.

After a career as a web pressman, Baer opened his printing company in 1968, steadily growing its business with local businesses, which includes some of the biggest names in papermaking and U.S. commercial printing.

"The big paper and printing companies remain among the toughest customers for local printers because they are very demanding on quality and service," Baer explains.  "They can afford to be extremely choosy about their printing suppliers and do not settle for anything short of excellence."

Business grew steadily, first with AB Dick presses, then into Ryobi presses, including the 3302, 524, 582.  The company has also used Heidelberg, Komori and Shinohara presses.

The late 1990s posed challenges for Baer, as it did for nearly every full service commercial printer in the U.S.  But he said providing the full range of printing with modern press technology, together with targeting new markets, is essential to competitive fitness and business growth today.

His new Ryobi 754, he says, is the foundation of the company's future:  excellent print quality, quick makereadies, easy for one pressman to operate.  He said Ryobi presses generally need very few service calls or repairs if routine maintenance is regularly performed.

Any printer in the U.S. that buys a RYOBI press gets access to the full range of business and technical support from the company, through the xpedx Technology Center in Cincinnati and the parts center in Memphis.