KENNESAW, Ga. - August 11, 2004 - Heidelberg today announced that Allegra Print and Imaging in Orlando, Fla., has purchased the Printmaster PM 52 it has been testing after a successful eight-month trial period. During this time frame, the press has helped secure new customers, boosted productivity 15 percent and increased revenues by nearly 10 percent. Allegra became the first shop in the U.S. to test the four-color Printmaster 52 press and has produced more than two million finished pieces since installation in November 2003. After the new press improved the overall performance and quality of Allegra’s sheetfed department, co-owners Ken Stoecker and Don Synder are sure that the Printmaster PM 52 was the right way for further growth. “We’ve been impressed with the PM 52’s performance, reliability and ease of use during the testing and felt that to continue growing our business, this was the press for us," Stoecker said. "We believe that our investment has not only improved our profitability but has given us the perfect tool to help grow our business. We’re now able to compete and win against larger shops because of the press.” Allegra works with some of the area’s largest companies, including several major theme parks, local restaurants and other businesses and agencies. With the new Printmaster PM 52, the company is providing its customers with a better product in a shorter amount of time at the same reasonable cost. The Printmaster PM 52 is the newest member of the Heidelberg small format press family. It is a perfect means of growth for smaller shops into high quality printing. For shops like Allegra, the Printmaster PM 52 allows to reach the next level by its many large-press like features that are built into the PM 52, such as the stream feeder, oscillating form rollers, a strong inking unit and an easy press control. Additional options allow users to tailor the automation to the specific needs of each shop (with features such as such as Autoplate, the remote console "Prinect Classic Center", blanket washers or fully automated perfecting) The 4 color press at Allegra features a perfector and a Prinect Classic Console, allowing for adjustments of ink keys and register remotely. Allegra employs 16 full-time staff that specialize in quick turnarounds and advanced 4-color work. The company boasts one of the most innovative design teams in the area and hopes to use the PM 52 to help continue building its business for years to come. The shop, known for its letterhead, brochures, reports and point-of-purchase displays, will use the new press to branch out into more advanced four-color work and other applications, including two over two perfecting and heavier paper stock jobs. Allegra’s average job is between 3,000 and 5,000 pieces and with the PM 52's speed, the shop has improved turn around times and increased productivity significantly. “The competition in our area is tough so we knew we needed to improve our performance but keep our costs to a minimum if we were going to continue to be successful,” said Stoecker. “Reduced hourly costs and low space requirements were important to us, but so was flexibility and speed. We liked that the PM 52 can easily be set up to run a broad range of applications at an affordable price.”