Showcase facility will shine with high-speed large-format press running UV inks and specialty coatings

As a thriving organization with additional capacity needs, Menasha Packaging’s York, Penn. facility will be enhancing its productivity with a unique new high-performance KBA Rapida 145 57-inch eight-color press with full UV capabilities and logistics this spring. The new press will arrive at the firm’s sprawling 220,000-square-foot facility in late March and will begin production in May 2015.

“Our expertise is the in-store merchandising industry in which we provide point-of-purchase (POP)/point-of-sale (POS), folding carton, and litho sheets,” says Joseph Speaker, business director of Menasha Packaging’s York facility. “From strategy development, packaging and display design and manufacturing, to fulfillment, distribution and transportation, our clientele require short-run high-quality products in a fast speed-to-market delivery that exactly match their logos and provide an eye-appealing look. Our unique ability to deliver the lowest total cost, speedy delivery, and innovation enables our customers to drastically reduce costs and obsolescence, greatly improve ROI, strategically deploy internal resources, and ultimately, create and manage fewer, but more impactful promotions, campaigns and retail merchandising programs. With our growth maintaining a steady upwards trajectory, we required a new high-performance press to meet our additional capacity needs.” 

KBA Number One selling large-format press manufacturer

After researching and examining the latest large-format press models on the market offered by the largest three press manufacturers, the firm made the solid decision to invest in the KBA Rapida 145 press. “While we’ve operated presses from all three manufacturers, we chose KBA because it is the Number One selling large-format press manufacturer and another Menasha Packaging facility in Neenah, Wis. has had a lot of success with its large-format KBA press,” says Speaker. “We know that KBA makes a great reliable durable press and they said it would be delivered in May during our strongest market time and beginning of our busy season. This will be our first press from KBA and our tenth press in our main 220,000-square-foot facility.”

The York facility’s new KBA Rapida 145 has been configured with extra units and all the “bells and whistles” to serve its customers, says Dave Kornbau, operations manager of Menasha Packaging’s York facility. “The new KBA Rapida 145 will be our showcase press. We’ve been talking to our customers about it and can’t wait to show it off. Its UV capabilities are a huge draw for them. This capability will provide our customers with spot and gloss coatings as well as dull plus its instant drying will give us and our customers the speed-to-market that is required. We’ve added unique decorating capabilities for designers and print buyers to take advantage of. Color control and quality are an immense necessity to our customers. This new press with its unique capabilities sets us apart from our competition and solidifies our reputation as the leader in print technology,” says Kornbau. 

Menasha Packaging’s York facility serves the point-of-purchase folding carton and litho sheet markets from an expansive three-building 440,000-square-foot facility with more than 400 employees, 10 offset presses, six digital presses, and capabilities that run from 40-inch to 73-inch large format conventional presses to 120-inch digital presses along with extensive die cutting, decorating, foiling, embossing, kitting, and component work. “The 57-inch size of the new KBA press perfectly fits our power stroke,” says Kornbau. “We’re already outfitted with foil, die cutting, and embossing equipment for that same size. Once the press arrives, we’ll be expanding and adding four new crews. Everyone at our facility is excited about this new installation.”

"We are thrilled about the new KBA Rapida 145 press investment made by Menasha Packaging for its York, Pennsylvania location,” says Steve Korn, KBA director of national and key accounts. “KBA is most appreciative of the strong partnership that we’ve forged together with Menasha Packaging. We applaud Menasha Packaging and its entire team on what they’ve accomplished and its extraordinary growth, We are confident that this new KBA press will provide the needed increased capacity, fuel future growth, and continue Menasha Packaging’s high quality printing and on-time service with its existing and future clients for many years to come."