Key print titans choose KBA for progressive designs, intelligent technology, automated press solutions, and meticulous engineering

KBA North America is prevailing in the concentrated market of the East Coast with an explosion of printing press sales among some of the best-known titans of the commercial, trade, and packaging industry. Many of these high-visibility, award-winning customers are long-time loyal devotees that are adding KBA presses for capacity reasons; others are new KBA customers that decided to switch press manufacturers. 

“It is our distinct pleasure to serve these well-known printers in this concentrated market,” says Alex Stepanian, director of sheetfed sales for KBA North America. “We’ve earned their business because these printers are seeking out sheetfed press manufacturers that can help them gain efficiency, increase quality, and provide industry-leading service and support. After extensively testing KBA presses, these printers have chosen to place their orders for a new Rapida sheetfed press. We’re pleased that our existing customers are adding capacity and we’re pleased to welcome new customers to the KBA family.”

Two of the largest orders have come from Allied Printing Services and Beyer Graphics. Allied Printing Services, a full service commercial/financial printing firm located in Manchester, CT, expanded its capacity within two years with the addition of four new KBA Rapida 106 41-inch presses: three six-color high-speed presses equipped with UV and conventional coating and a new KBA Rapida 106 41-inch eight-color press.

“We believe strongly in consistently reinvesting in our company and maintaining the most up-to-date equipment in all departments,” says John Sommers, president and CEO of Allied Printing Services. “These capital expenditures have increased our capacity and made Allied more efficient and productive for our customers. Our relationship with KBA has grown and these new presses boost our automation and productivity and allow us to continue our healthy growth and further enhance our product offerings and capabilities.”

Recognizing the need to increase its capacity and maintain its high quality production, Beyer Graphics, a leading New York pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and over-the-counter packaging supplier, has recently installed two new KBA Rapida 106 41-inch UV presses—an eight-color plus coater and a specially-configured nine-color press that is one of only a few in the U.S. It’s the firm’s first partnership with KBA.

“This large capital investment in these two new high-performance presses will drive our business even further and enhance our capabilities,” says Dan Beyer, president of Beyer Graphics. “We’re providing our customers with faster, more efficient, one-pass, higher quality work due to the fast press speeds and unique automation found on the presses. With this purchase, we are certainly differentiating ourselves from our competitors, attesting to our strength and commitment to our customers.”

The first press delivery took place in November 2015 and was a KBA Rapida 106 eight-color press with coater. After removal of its two current presses from another press manufacturer, Beyer took delivery in February 2016 of a specially-designed Rapida 106 nine-color press. The latter has a unique configuration of eight printing units plus a coater then two drying units plus another printing unit followed by another coater and a 12 ft extended delivery. 

Flower City Printing, one of the largest, privately-held, large-format sheetfed offset printers and a leading in-store signage and packaging expert headquartered in Rochester, NY, is operating its new specially-configured KBA Rapida 164 64-inch seven-color press with coater and equipped with KBA’s unique automation.

The firm’s new KBA Rapida 164 press is equipped with a host of unique “KBA only” features such as KBA’s dedicated drive technology. The Rapida 164 features KBA’s award winning DriveTronic SIS sidelay-free infeed, and the new ErgoTronic console with integrated measuring systems and large wall screen amongst many other new technologies.

To maintain its leadership as a key provider to the beer and craft beer market, NEPA Carton and Carrier Company, a one stop source for beverage carriers and cartons located in Moosic, PA, is operating its new KBA Rapida 145 57-inch six-color large-format press to provide additional speed, color control, and turnaround to its nationwide customers.

“Our customers demand that their beer cartons are color consistent from run to run, whether it is three hours apart or three months apart from production,” says Mike Collins, president of NEPA. “We didn’t have this capability before but we now have the KBA ErgoTronic color control system on our new KBA Rapida 145. Plus, we’re enjoying the added benefits of faster speeds and shorter makeready times. We chose the KBA press because it has superior technology as compared to other press manufacturers.”

Dee Paper Box Company, a leading folding carton design, printing, and manufacturing firm located in Chester, PA, broadened its pressroom capabilities with the installation of a new KBA Rapida 145 57-inch seven-color double-coater UV press with a host of unique automated KBA technology.

“Our sterling reputation has been built upon our attentive service and delivery of high quality products,” says David Dee, sales manager of Dee Paper Box Company. “Our employees place a considerable amount of attention to detail on every client’s job. We’re seeing a trend toward more difficult work getting even more complex with shorter run lengths and faster turnarounds while everybody is running at the speed of light. It’s our job to take those complicated jobs and make it simpler for our customer.”

In addition to these prominent customers, KBA salutes these loyal printers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic for their Rapida installations:

• Hub Folding Box Company, Inc., an innovative leader and custom manufacturer of quality folding paperboard cartons headquartered in Mansfield, MA, is utilizing a new multi-color KBA Rapida 106 press
• An award-winning high-end designer of premium packaging and displays for a variety of consumer industries has partnered with KBA North America for the first time to leverage the unique technology found on its new specially-configured KBA Rapida 106 41-inch hybrid eight-color press. 
• The pressroom at Parlor City, a Binghamton, NY-based paperboard packaging company, boasts three KBA Rapida presses: a Rapida 105 six-color press with coater, a Rapida 105 seven-color with coater, and a Rapida 104 four-color with coater.
• A leading in-store marketing manufacturer is growing with its Rapida 105 six-color plus coater and Rapida 205 four-color press
• A commercial sheetfed and packaging firm installed a Rapida eight-color with UV.