Louisville, Kentucky — Gateway Press recently ordered a new eight-unit two-web ROTOMAN press from MAN Roland. With a 170,000 sq ft facility and $40 million in annual sales, Gateway is an example on how to grow into a successful commercial printing enterprise, and its latest purchase can be used as a lesson on successfully selecting a profit-generating web press. Their selection process can be summed up in these nine criteria: 1. Assemble an expert team. Gateway began by forming a four-person committee to power up the process, and make sure different areas of expertise were heard from. Two of Gateway's top manufacturing executives, its CFO and its chief sales executive were assigned to the panel, bringing over 100 years of combined web press experience to the table. 2. Focus the scope of your search. It took the Gateway panel about six months to reach a decision on ROTOMAN. “We started out looking at four different press manufacturers,” says Darrell Embry, Senior Vice President of Sales. ”We quickly reduced that number down to two, and started making site visits. Our initial MAN Roland exposure was at Publishers Press, and then we went to the Graph Expo in Chicago. Both experiences were very positive.” 3. Go hands-on. The Gateway selection team visited over a half dozen additional facilities that run MAN Roland web presses. “It became clear very early that MAN Roland makes a superior press,” Embry recalls. “But did it meet our needs and was it the best purchase for Gateway Press? We knew a few things for sure. We wanted to work with a proven leader in the industry and one that was committed to our marketplace.” 4. Partner with your press maker. “Gateway is not a huge company,” Embry notes. “We make a web purchase every 7-10 years, so it is critical that we make the best decision possible each time out. MAN Roland was very patient and did not try to push us into a decision. We also were exposed to the company's upper management. They seemed to really have a keen insight into the market and a very high interest in dealing with Gateway Press.” 5. Put the customer first. The Gateway selection committee filtered all its decisions through the lens of its customers and its prospects. “The new ROTOMAN will enable our existing customers to save money due to the state-of-the-art technology this press will provide,” Embry says. “And Gateway's one-stop shopping approach will definitely be enhanced with this new purchase. We welcome any new clients that want to grow with us with this new technology. It will be an exciting time to be at Gateway Press.” 6. Think fast. Gateway anticipates that the new ROTOMAN will makeready in half the time its existing presses do: “The preset features and the closed loop color should enable us to get quality signatures much quicker and hold them closer once we get there. We are amazed at what we have seen in the field being achieved on ROTOMAN presses.” Similarly, the ROTOMAN's running speeds are expected to average between 50,000 and 60,000 signatures per hour at Gateway, for a 50% gain over existing rates. 7. Consider configurations. The new ROTOMAN is eight units in a two web, inline configuration. “We also run up to eight color work on our webs from time to time. In addition, we use different gloss and dull coatings occasionally. Our competition is often limited to five or six colors.” Embry says. “The ROTOMAN gives us a competitive advantage on all this work. Our bread and butter configuration is the 32-page, four-color signature. To be able to produce that format at over 50,000 per hour should make us competitive with anyone in the marketplace we serve.” 8. Be different. Gateway knows the value of differentiating itself from other printers so it can stand out in its marketplace. With that in mind, it is equipping its ROTOMAN with one of the most versatile folders in the industry — MAN Roland's Model PFI 3-05, 1:3:3 combination folder. Embry explains: “This folder's angle bars and delta-fold features will give us over 20 different folding configurations. There are very few folds that we have not produced over the years, so the move to this folder should be a smooth transition. The big advantage is we expect to run much faster with this folder, which is rated at 65,000 signatures per hour.” 9. Build your reputation. Gateway has built its reputation as a customer-centric, family-run business combining the best available technology with a talented and dependable workforce. In fact, the average tenure of the company's 225 employees is over 18 years, while the company's 11 officers average 38 years of service with Gateway. In summing up the company's responsive reputation, Embry notes: “Some customers want to be hands off and have us handle everything. Others want to get intimately involved with each step. We treat them as customers, but also as friends and give them that flexibility. Gateway is large enough and financially sound enough to provide the latest technology the industry has to offer. However, we are small enough to give the individual attention each customer deserves.”