Austin, TX — August 22, 2019- For Austin, Texas-based Horizon Printing & Mailing, UV print capabilities are one of the things that set them apart from the competition. 13 years ago, the shop installed their first UV press, and were the first and only commercial printer in Austin offering this advanced print technology. When the time came to increase capacity, the RMGT 920 8-color LED UV with perfector was an obvious choice.
“We’re growing,” says Harold Carter, general manager for Horizon. “We needed more capacity, and we wanted to get into the perfecting market. This new press will give us a competitive advantage, with not only the perfecting capabilities, but the LED-UV technology.”
Based on their legacy of printing UV for more than a decade, upgrading to LED-UV technology was going to have huge advantages. “There was never any doubt for us — we knew when it was time to put a new press in, it was going to be an LED-UV. It was a no-brainer. We’re going to have shorter production times with this press, and quicker turn-around times, which in turn will allow us to bring in a wider range of customers, for both short- and long-run jobs. We are projecting growth of 25-35% by the end of this year with the RMGT 9 series once we are fully up and running.”
The Press with the competitive edge
The quality of digital is good, but the quality of offset is better
Carter further notes that for Horizon, 85% of the revenue is still coming from the offset side of the business, making the investment in the RMGT, which can handle a much wider range of jobs than most digital or offset presses, a good fit for the business. “Not to mention,” he says, “while the quality of digital is pretty good these days, the quality of offset is still better. That will always be part of the equation as well. You are limited in terms of what you can do for things like solids on the digital equipment, whereas with offset we just have more control over that.”
“What’s exciting about this installation is that this is the first RMGT 9 Series with a perfector being installed in the Southwest United States,” says Kian Hemmen, Director of Sales, Print & Finishing Solutions, the RMGT distributor for the region. “Horizon Printing is the type of shop that we really like to see these machines go to because of their commitment to quality. We know that the press is going to shine and will continue to help them grow as the top-quality printer in Austin. It has been an honor to work with Mike Spann, Harold Carter and the team at Horizon Printing. We are so grateful to be partners with the 28 year old company that shares the same goals and values that we do: Quality, Commitment, and Expertise.”
About Print & Finishing Solutions (PFS)
Print & Finishing Solutions (PFS) is the largest graphic arts service and supplies company west of the Mississippi. PFS services California, the country, and the world with quality new and used machinery, installation and training, and post-sale support. Specializing in new and refurbished machinery, parts, supplies, and service for the print and graphics industry, PFS supports commercial printers and binderies of all sizes as well as digital printers and corporate and public in-plants. Within its facility, PFS offers two demonstration centers catering to both commercial offset / bindery and digital solutions. The Commercial Showroom features the latest machinery from RMGT, Horizon, Challenge, Perfecta, and Preferred Pack. The Digital / On-Demand Showroom features the latest products from MGI, OkiData, Mimaki, Rhin-O-Tuff, MBM, James Burn, DRYLAM, and others.
About RMGT (RYOBI MHI Graphic Technology)
RMGT is among the world’s largest manufacturers of sheet-fed offset printing presses and the world leader in LED-UV technology with over 450 placements worldwide. Our high-speed, fully-automated presses are respected worldwide for unsurpassed print quality, low total cost of ownership, extreme ease of operation, and unmatched reliability. In partnership with Panasonic, RMGT released LED-UV Curing for Print at DRUPA 2008 and we now offer the only G3 LED-UV technology on the market. Headquartered outside of Hiroshima Japan, RMGT is a joint venture company bringing together the best technology and manufacturing expertise of Ryobi Limited and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The enhanced product lineup and strengthened manufacturing prowess makes RMGT an indispensable brand for the printing industry. Learn more about RMGT at www.rmgt-usa.com