The installation of a Mitsubishi Diamond 3000R sheetfed press has had an immediate impact on the quality and volume of work produced by Foresight Group in Lansing, Mich. The six-color, 40-inch convertible perfector with aqueous coater enables the commercial printing company to more effectively meet the requirements of the market and provide customers with quicker turnarounds.

“The Diamond 3000R gives us extra capacity we see as essential for our continued growth,” said Scott Mossbarger, vice president of operations. “The higher level of automation, faster throughput and excellent print quality that the press delivers are also attracting unique jobs from current customers and creating new business opportunities.”

Foresight Group has maintained a leading edge in print and promotional technology for more than 100 years. Founded not long after the dawn of the 20th century as Lansing Printery and later incorporated as Lansing Printing Co. in 1932, Foresight Group today services the commercial sector with eye-popping offset printing, four-color digital production and wide-format inkjet.

Foresight Group always has embraced change. In early 2011, the company renovated a 30,000-square-foot building to consolidate its manufacturing, sales and administrative functions, which had been spread out over four facilities in Lansing.

“Bringing our prepress, printing, finishing, mailing and office-related activities under one roof eliminated the inefficiencies associated with multiple locations,” Mossbarger noted.

In September, Foresight Group merged with Huron Valley Printing & Imaging in Ann Arbor, Mich. With the addition of Huron Valley, Foresight Group employs 43 people. Ann Arbor-based sales and customer service staff will continue to directly service Huron Valley’s local and national accounts.

“Diverse capabilities and a broad customer base are among our greatest strengths,” Mossbarger said. “Our clients include health care providers, credit unions and insurance companies. In addition, we print direct mail, brochures and publications for Michigan State University in East Lansing and University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.”

Installing the Diamond 3000R represented a significant shift for the $6 million firm. The Mitsubishi press replaced a four-color, 26-inch perfector and a six-color, 28-inch straight press with coater purchased from other manufacturers.

“We compared presses from the major manufacturers, but in the end it was an easy choice,” Mossbarger said. “The Diamond 3000R is built solidly, and it’s a great value. You get a lot of press for your money.”

As part of its research, Foresight Group turned to the Internet to compile a list of printers that operate Mitsubishi presses.

“Every shop we visited and everyone we contacted loved their Mitsubishi presses,” Mossbarger recalled. “They all said the presses run nonstop without any problems. The Diamond 3000R has proven to be just as dependable for us.”

Sharing the pressroom floor with the Diamond 3000R are an envelope press, a two-color, 18-inch press, and a new four-color, 20-inch press. The Diamond 3000R’s 40-inch sheet size combined with the fast press speed and short makereadies allow Foresight Group to accommodate longer runs and higher page counts.

“Larger projects, such as annual reports and catalogs, tie up half-size equipment too long so those jobs aren’t as efficient or cost-effective to run,” Mossbarger pointed out. “Now we can quickly change from short production runs to high-volume jobs without delays and get these projects off the press much faster than we could in the past.”

Mossbarger added that customer response has been enthusiastic.

“Demand is very strong,” he said. “Our clients have been so impressed with the results that they are directing more work our way.”