Tonya Kowa-Morelli, Lewisburg Printing’s chief operating officer, eagerly anticipates the new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 145 57-inch seven-color press at the Lewisburg, TN facility and believes it will provide them with the latest unique technology and more flexibility to turn jobs quicker and meet client demands. © Koenig & Bauer

Newest investment will bring added speed-to-market and high quality brand and shelf presence to this best-in-class supplier of litho label and top sheet production

• Radial Equity Partners, owners of Lewisburg Printing and Huston Patterson Printing, continues to support its businesses with new investments and leading technology
• Long close partnership and trust with Koenig & Bauer due to its unmatched reputation and technological advancements
• UV technology on press will allow for higher-end value-added finishing effects

With an unsurpassed reputation as the largest best in class litho label and top sheet supplier in North America, the management team at Lewisburg Printing is cementing that status with a new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 145 57-inch seven-color press. It will be delivered to the firm’s 141,000 sq ft Lewisburg, TN facility later this year.

“The reason why we turned to Koenig & Bauer once again to supply our newest press asset is because, as the leader in speed-to-market, we determined that this new 57-inch press will provide us with the latest unique technology and more flexibility to turn jobs quicker and meet our clients’ demands,” says Tonya Kowa-Morelli, Lewisburg’s chief operating officer. “This significant capital investment – our ninth offset press – allows us to remain ahead of our competition and deliver high quality consistent projects in a timely fashion in this on-demand world.”

Kowa-Morelli did her careful due diligence in crunching the numbers, in which the new Koenig & Bauer 57-inch model is replacing two legacy presses in its fleet to produce the majority of its workload. She specified that the new press be equipped with the latest quality control systems to deliver unmatched eye-catching brand and shelf presence for its retail clients. For additional speed and quick makeready, the new 145 model is equipped with every automated feature to address the need for shorter runs, highest quality output, and fastest turnaround times.

Lewisburg’s press operators and management team will be assisted by two new Koenig & Bauer systems. An instant, up-to-date analysis of the performance of the new Rapida 145 on the shop floor will be supplied due to Koenig & Bauer’s PressWatch system. To identify untapped performance potential on press, dramatically assisting operators in ensuring maximum up throughput, and significantly increasing the pressroom’s overall equipment efficiency (OEE) rate by implementing Koenig & Bauer’s SpeedWatch system.

To offer its clients higher end finishing and unique special effects, the new Rapida 145 is equipped with a tower coater for water based and a Koenig & Bauer VariDry drying system.

“Having UV technology on the new press allows us to offer a variety of different effects using various coating techniques that will drive unique value-added looks for our clients,” says Joseph Morelli, Lewisburg Printing and Huston Patterson’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. “It is essential to offer our clients total flexibility to produce an array of unique litho labels and top sheets.”

Plans not only call for the installation of the new press but significant capital investments to the infrastructure in Lewisburg. “We’re demonstrating to our clients as well as our employees that we have a long-term future at that facility,” says Morelli. “By investing in this new press, we’re giving our employees all the latest technology for innovative solutions to succeed at their job. It will significantly increase our efficiencies thus exceeding our client’s demands while helping our sales team go after new business. “This investment demonstrates our unwavering commitment to maintaining a world-class printing facility, reinforcing our dedication to excellence for both our industry and our employees.”

“We have a long-standing strong and trusted relationship with Koenig & Bauer through Steve Korn, its Director of National and Key Accounts,” says Kowa-Morelli. “Koenig & Bauer’s reputation is unmatched with a worldwide status for its technology advancements. They are the premier leaders as world class printing press manufacturers and they align perfectly with our vision as a world class printing organization. It is a great marriage and we cherish our partnership with them.”

Steve Korn, Director of National and Key Accounts at Koenig & Bauer, highlights, "Lewisburg Printing and Huston Patterson, two of North America’s most respected independent family-owned packaging printing companies, now part of Radial Equity Partners, are making another strategic investment to further elevate their capabilities. This new Koenig & Bauer 57" large-format press is a key addition to their portfolio, designed to meet the increasing demands of their growing client base while driving operational efficiency and reducing lead times. It’s a bold step forward in their commitment to excellence and innovation."

He continues, "We are thrilled to congratulate their forward-thinking, client-focused team on this latest acquisition. The addition of this advanced press not only increases production speed but also provides unmatched redundancy in the large-format printing sector—ensuring they remain at the forefront of the industry. Our partnership with Lewisburg Printing, Huston Patterson, and now Radial Equity Partners has been built on trust and mutual success, and we’re confident this press will further fuel their growth and continue their legacy of delivering top-tier quality and service for the foreseeable future."