December 9, 2008 - The core business of Metro Print and Mail Solutions is in direct mailing, but the 80-person company also has extensive printing expertise.  Owner Gary Meredith founded the company in 1987 with a half-dozen employees and for the first three years he concentrated exclusively on mailings.  Then, in 1990, Metro bought its first printing press.  The company's new printing business grew quickly and today it accounts for 50 percent of Metro's sales.

Three years ago, following the installation of three web offset presses from other manufacturers, Metro Print and Mail Solutions purchased its first Muller Martini press:  the Alprinta 74.  There were two main reasons why.  First, the Alprinta 74 can be used to produce large size flyers for newspapers and magazines.  Second, Metro uses it to print complete magazines with 24-100 pages in many different sizes and in print runs ranging from 6,000 to 100,000 copies.  "We have only been able to print orders like these since we have had the Alprinta 74," says Mr. Meredith.

Extremely Versatile

Thanks to the ten offset printing units on the Alprinta 74, Metro can print fronts and backs in up to five colors in one pass…and sheet them.  Flexo cassettes on units 5 and 10 provide the additional option of printing high-quality 4/4 color products finished with UV-coating in one operation.  This makes the machine extremely versatile.

Many flyers and magazines are designed and laid out on the premises at Metro Print and Mail Solutions.  The company has a dedicated creative department for its customers, some of whom have been loyal to the company since 1987.  "It has always been our aim to stay with our clients throughout the whole production process," explains Mr. Meredith.

Impressive Presentation and Successful Test

The ten-color Alprinta 74 at Metro Print and Mail Solutions features a non-stop unwind unit, processing unit for perforating, die cutting and lengthwise cutting, and a sheeter with integrated signature stacker for delivery of large stacks and bundles.  Several key factors influenced Gary Meredith's choice of the Alprinta 74.  Among those factors is that he was impressed by the presentation at Muller Martini's booth at Print '05 in Chicago.  After that, tests at the Muller Martini Training Center for Print in Maulburg, Germany satisfied him completely:  "The quality was significantly better than that of competitors' products, and comparable to sheet-fed printing."

Metro Print and Mail Solutions is one of the leading direct mail providers in Northern California and according to Mr. Meredith, Muller Martini has played a significant role in Metro's high standard of quality:  "The training given by the technicians here on our premises was excellent and helped us a great deal, particularly in the months following the installation."