A triple play with the first in North America to operate three of the largest sheetfed offset presses 

In an effort to continue its expansive growth in the packaging, retail and entertainment markets, The Garvey Group has become the first printer in North America to own three KBA Rapida 205 81" presses. Its newest KBA Rapida 205 81-inch six-color UV press has been added to the firm’s large-format Los Angeles facility. The firm cites speed-to-market as well as depth, redundancy and quality as the reasons behind adding this massive new press to its southern California facility.

“I am proud to be investing in our customers’ future---and our own future too---with this amazing press technology,” says Ed Garvey Jr., president and CEO of The Garvey Group. “The Garvey Group West in Los Angeles produces outstanding out-of-home signage for major clients including some of the biggest brand names in the film industry, the electronics world, and the retail sector. This new large-format press will complete our offerings to our clients on the West Coast and

• will allow our organization to produce a full range of sheet sizes and specialty coatings. 
• deliver quality and efficiency to our valued customers and provide them with an extra-large sheet to develop marketing and branding concepts 
• greatly reduce the cycle time for the Western half of the U.S. and Mexico.  It will reduce job turnaround exponentially from our current capabilities. 
• Its UV drying capabilities will allow us to print on any substrate offering special coating and effects for their jobs. 
• the new Rapida 205 gives us the redundancy in equipment and production which is of great importance to our large customers who have many locations around the country.  The quality and consistency will be the same for all TGG locations; the only difference that the customer will notice is the bill of lading showing which TGG facility produced the job.” 

Driving the decision to install the world’s largest sheetfed press, its third Rapida 205 press, were the sheet size, print quality, and UV capabilities---all cited as very important factors to TGG, as well as TGG’s long-standing commitment and partnership with KBA. This addition at TGGW, notes Garvey, provides a broader product offering on the West Coast of size and coating options that are currently available at its Midwest facilities. “This is a very large investment in Los Angeles and it speaks to our commitment to serving the Western markets,” says Garvey. “Our markets will continue to grow as the scope of work we can do becomes larger.”

In addition to the new Rapida 205, the firm has moved its KBA Rapida 105 41-inch10-color UV press with perfecting capabilities into its Los Angeles facility. This decision was based upon the firm’s desire to greatly increase its capacity in the 41-inch markets. With the installation of its giant large-format press and 41-inch press, the firm plans to add more employees for these presses as well as future equipment.  

The KBA Rapida 205, which is custom-built in Germany, is a revolutionary piece of equipment that prints sheets up to 80.7” X 59.5”. The press produces extra-large format, high-quality products in a highly cost efficient manner. This press is the first of its size to offer a wide range of automated technologies that provide for extremely high print quality and low make-ready times with the addition of UV drying capabilities.

“All of our employees in Los Angeles are excited about this new press and its capabilities,” says Garvey. “This new installation demonstrates our strength and commitment as one of the most sophisticated, technology-driven strategic marketing partners in our industry. We are confident that this press will print exceptional work because we already have two KBA Rapida 205 models producing award-winning work in our facilities in the Midwest.” 

"We congratulate The Garvey Group on its ninth KBA press investment, this time for another super large format 81” press, and we are most appreciative of the strong partnership that we’ve forged together over so many years,” says Steve Korn, KBA Director of National and Key Accounts. “Ed Garvey’s commitment to creating a North American super large format platform, the first of its kind in North America, is truly visionary.  The Garvey Group’s extraordinary growth is due to its customer first approach. We are confident that its new KBA press will increase the Garvey Group's capacity and help continue its leadership position with its existing and future clients for many years to come."