BRADENTON, Fla. (December 03, 2008) -- Manatee Printers Inc. has been taking the long view of business since the family-owned commercial printer started in 1977. The company has never been one to sacrifice long-term efficiency for short-term gains.

It comes as no surprise then that a new six-color Mitsubishi Diamond 3000S press was put into production in September at a time when companies across the entire economic landscape are tightening their belts several notches.

"We are logging more hours on the new press and turning out much more work with much higher quality," said Ron Pickelsimer, president. "On a recent Saturday, for instance, the press ran five five-color jobs and one four-over-four job in an eight-hour shift. The speed and quality of this press will allow us to attract high-end agency work and compete for a wider range of publications than we already print."

Pickelsimer is joined in the business by his wife, Patricia, and three sons, Mike, Mark and Jeff. The type of work that moves through Manatee Printers' 9,000-square-foot plant covers the spectrum of commercial projects and run lengths.

"We print high-end color brochures, mailers, postcards and retail signage, as well as some annual reports and publications," Pickelsimer said. "We do short runs, medium runs and even long runs. One long-run job we just completed consisted of 600,000 newspaper inserts."

Age and the inevitable repair bills that accompany aging equipment had caught up with two existing presses at Manatee Printers. The firm purchased the 40-inch Diamond 3000S with aqueous coater to take on the work of a six-color, 29-inch press with coater and a five-color, 40-inch machine.

"My sons went down to Miami to see Mitsubishi presses at printing locations and talk to other printers," Pickelsimer recalled. "They came back and said, 'Dad, this is what we need.' They were impressed with the speed, quick makereadies and print quality of the Mitsubishi presses. The Miami shops they visited specialized in very high-end work. Those companies produced really superior quality, and the owners swore by Mitsubishi presses."

The Diamond 3000S currently is operating two shifts a day, five days a week. The press was up and running three weeks from the time it was delivered.

"There was no learning curve to speak of," Pickelsimer noted. "We fired up the press on a Monday, and it ran four jobs without any problems."

As far as press technology, Manatee Printers didn't cut any corners, either.

"The press features most of the bells and whistles," Pickelsimer said. "It is equipped with a Sentinel ink management system, closed-loop color control, automated plate changers, blanket washers and so on."

These press systems have reduced makeready times and materials waste, Pickelsimer added.

"I timed the press operator, and he was able to remove the old plates and hang new ones for a four-color job in two minutes and 45 seconds," Pickelsimer said. "We do the first pull at 50 sheets, and the register is almost perfect on the first pull. On press wash-ups, we use 30 percent less washing solution than with our previous presses and half as many rags."

Thanks to the press-generated influx of business, Manatee Printers expects to finish the year with $3 million in sales, up from its earlier estimate of $2.5 million. The company is projecting another upward spike in revenues in 2009.

"We should be able to hit $3.5 million to $4 million next year easily," Pickelsimer predicted. "We have gotten a great response from the community. We are extremely happy with the press. There is no doubt that we made the right decision."