KENNESAW, Ga. Tepel Brothers Printing, Troy, Mich. liked its first Heidelberg 6-color Speedmaster XL 105 so well, it purchased another just six months later. The company’s original XL, a 6-color conventional model installed in April 2008, now shares the spotlight at Tepel with a 6-color Speedmaster XL 105 with full interdeck UV, acquired the following October. According to company president Jim Tepel, the new XL is already 50 percent more productive than the two-year-old Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 102 UV it replaced, thanks to higher runs speeds, faster makereadies, ease-of-use and print predictability - even accounting for the fact that the company runs a large volume of UV printed plastic materials and other nonstandard substrates on the new press. These features, combined with the Heidelberg Image Control color management and Ink Optimization, substantially increase the company’s already formidable production capabilities.
 
“We wanted to expand our horizons, and that is exactly what we’ve done,” Tepel said. “We are one of just a few printers in southeast Michigan with the ability to print a wide range of specialty work - static cling, signage and floor decals, etc. – not to mention special effects like strike-through UV with reticulating varnish. As a result, we’ve grown our business substantially, expanding the types of work we do for existing clients and attracting new clients from as far away as Chicago and Indianapolis.”
 
What Tepel likes best about the XL 105 is its predictability: “To know I can set up the most difficult job, hang the plate, and get a saleable sheet on the first pull with no tweaking, usually within 125 sheets,” he said. “Not only is the XL 105 a tremendous waste saver, once we derive a perfect sheet, we can proceed to run it at 18,000 sheets per hour. The press has exceeded my expectations in so many ways.” As for the XL 105’s larger sheet size, “We utilize it every chance we get – at least once a week,” Tepel said. With the able assistance of its XL 105s, the company also is developing its packaging business, “a great little growth area” that now represents about 10 percent of its job mix.
 
Founded by Jim and Harriet Tepel in 1989, Tepel Brothers Printing employs a staff of 110. The company specializes in high-impact work on plastic and synthetics for a diverse client base that includes automobile and greeting card manufacturers, casinos, financial concerns and magazine publishers. In addition to the two Speedmaster XL 105s, the company’s pressroom is home to a 13 x 19” Heidelberg Printmaster two-color press, a 14x201/2” Heidelberg 2-color perfector, a 2-color Heidelberg Speedmaster SM 74 perfector, and a 6-color Speedmaster SM 74 perfector with in-line coater. Its bindery holds an assortment of Heidelberg POLAR programmable paper cutters, Stahlfolders, an ST 270 saddlestitcher and a 20x28” Heidelberg die cutter.
 
Tepel credits the new press with helping his company to build “a bigger, better business, even in this economic climate. The XL 105 was a marvelous investment that has enabled us to do what we do as efficiently and reliably as possible,” he said. “We consider it a game-changing press and a huge part of our continued growth.”