KENNESAW, Ga., May 26, 2005 – As part of its ongoing commitment to the print industry, Heidelberg unveiled its new Print Media Demonstration Center (PMDC) to some 300 of the country’s most influential printers at a President’s Night ceremony and ribbon-cutting event held last night. The state-of-the-art facility, located at Heidelberg’s North American headquarters in Kennesaw, Ga., houses a wide range of Heidelberg prepress, press and postpress equipment, including the new Speedmaster XL 105, which made its U.S. debut at the ceremony. “We are committed to providing printers of all types and sizes with the equipment and resources they need to enhance operational efficiency, achieve competitive advantages and save money,” said James Dunn, president, Heidelberg USA. “Our new Print Media Demonstration Center gives printers access to the most comprehensive print demonstration experience available to help them make informed business decisions and grow their market share.” At 33,000 square feet, the PMDC is the largest Heidelberg demonstration center in the world dedicated to the print media industry. It features the latest technologies for today’s printers and will serve as the venue for hands-on tutorials on a full range of prepress, press and postpress equipment and workflow solutions that are designed to help printers run more efficient and profitable businesses. In addition, the new facility will be open to the print media industry. Customers, vendors and local universities and dignitaries are among the groups that can take advantage of the center for meetings, conferences and other demonstration needs. Dunn and Heidelberg Chief Executive Officer Bernhard Schreier opened the new center at a President’s Night ceremony that drew more than 300 printers from around the country. As a special part of the event, attendees were given an exclusive preview and demonstration of the Speedmaster XL 105, the newest member of Heidelberg’s Speedmaster family and the first product introduced in the company’s new series of high-end offset presses known as the “Peak Performance Class.” With speeds up to 18,000 sheets per hour, the new press produces the highest quality product at the highest speeds, even on thick stocks. The Speedmaster XL 105 is the ideal production unit for label and packaging printers that handle long runs, a fact made possible by its high degree of automation, large print format of 74 x 105 cm and simple operation. The press includes several new features such as a new feeder, the newly-released Air-Transfer sheet transport system with exceptional aerodynamic properties and an integrated inking/dampening system that allows every print job to be printed in the best possible quality. Setting a new standard in terms of productivity, quality and cost-effectiveness, the Speedmaster XL 105 is designed specifically with customers' future requirements in mind. For more information on Heidelberg’s Print Media Demonstration Center, contact Larry Kroll at [email protected].