SALINA, Kansas -- "We wanted to be more competitive in the marketplace, so it was time to move up to a four-color, 40-inch press." That's how Don Vandegrift, president of Consolidated Printing & Stationery Co., describes the company's impetus for buying a new Mitsubishi Diamond 3000R convertible sheetfed perfector. Consolidated Printing configured the press for four-color straight printing or two-over-two perfecting. Established in 1916, Consolidated Printing strives to handle virtually any printing need. The 52-employee commercial printer had built a solid business producing high-quality, four-color and five-color jobs on 26-inch and 28-inch presses, but found itself missing out on longer-run work. "It takes more time on press and requires additional effort in the bindery to run eight-page signatures for those bigger jobs, as opposed to being able to print 16-page signatures," Vandegrift said. "We were at a definite disadvantage, especially when it came to turning around jobs on a short deadline." Consolidated Printing produces the gamut of commercial projects, including brochures, posters, calendars, monthly publications and personal stationery. With state-of-the-art technology in its Salina, Kansas, facility and sales offices in Kansas City and Springfield, Mo., the printer serves clients across the Midwest and as far away as Alaska and Massachusetts. Consolidated Printing operates a two-color, 40-inch perfector and three small-size presses, in addition to its existing half-size presses and new Diamond 3000R. Once Consolidating Printing made the decision to upgrade its pressroom capabilities, the company began auditioning press manufacturers. Vandegrift and other company representatives visited printing plants in Dallas. There they discussed press technology with business owners and press operators, and watched different presses in action. "We came away duly impressed with Mitsubishi," Vandegrift recalled. "Some of the companies had previously switched to Mitsubishi presses or were in the process of switching. They all spoke quite highly of Mitsubishi. And we liked what we saw with our own eyes. All things considered, Mitsubishi offered the best fit for our needs and the best value for our investment." Vandegrift said the Diamond 3000R was the most flexible system he evaluated, with a footprint that the company's 23,000-square-foot plant could easily accommodate. "Our production area is long and somewhat narrow," he explained. "The Mitsubishi press gave us the option of having a coating unit, which we wanted, but without adding an extended delivery. The extended delivery would have created too much press for the available space." Consolidated Printing also equipped the press with automated plate changers. The push-button plate-changing system permits operators to change plates from a standing position. It cuts plate replacement time by 25 percent. Vandegrift credited the automation on the press with streamlining makereadies and job changeovers. "Changeover from the straight printing mode to the perfecting mode is accomplished automatically from the press console," he pointed out. "The speed of our makereadies and time it takes to change from straight four-color printing to perfecting two-over-two is very impressive."