REZ Mailing Adds Second Sheetfed Press from RMGT: 970 8-color Perfector
Postcard and publication printer in Indianapolis celebrates new offset printing press manufactured by RMGT
SOLON, OH - October 13, 2023 – RMGT, manufacturer of the leading 8-up sheetfed offset press in North America, announces that Graphco delivered an RMGT 929PF-8+LED Press to EZ Mailing LLC. The new, eight-color perfecting press marks the second RMGT 9 Series for EZ Mailing and it joins the 920ST-4+LED on the floor at the company’s Indianapolis, IN production facility. Their first machine arrived in early 2019 and EZ Mailing has grown dramatically ever since.
Installed in June and running for a full three months, the RMGT 970 long perfector is conserving paper/spoilage waste during makereadies between jobs due to its “one and done” configuration. It’s also opening up new opportunities, including more publication printing. EZ Mailing president Kevin Bennett throws popular e-trending into the virtual wind. “I don’t care what people say about email marketing: Direct mail is still the best advertising,” he proclaims.
Printing and trimming mailers in quantities ranging from 5,000 to 1 million, his firm’s annual sales have grown tenfold over the past 10 years – to $7 million in 2022 – with 28 full-time employees. In addition to a 33,000-square-foot space in Indianapolis, EZ Mailing operates another facility in Terre Haute, IN, which is focused on large-format and digital printing.
“In Indy, we do it all: 6x9”, 6x11” and 8½ x11” formats,” Bennett notes. Their RMGT presses allow EZ Mailing to fully optimize production. “We can run 10-up on 100,000 sheets in a single, 10-hour shift,” he reports. In perfecting mode, the new machine speeds at 13,000 sheets per hour, taking production efficiency to another level. “By printing double-sided, we basically are getting two shifts’ worth of work in one shift,” he says. “We keep very busy cutting up the sheets and getting product in the mail!”
Bennett adds that LED curing moves jobs quickly through the EZ Mailing workflow. “The pressroom is instantly feeding cutters in our bindery,” he explains. “There’s no more waiting on 20 skids to dry.” EZ Mailing’s leader believes his crew could print and mail as many as 1,000,000 postcards (6x11”) in a three-day production cycle. That challenge will soon be tested during upcoming political campaigns, many of which still rely heavily on printed mail for voter communication.
Publication work, too
EZ Mailing’s first RMGT 9 Series press has allowed them to do more 32 to 40-page publication work for higher-education clients and fraternal organizations. “We printed quantities in the 8,000 copy range and now are competitive on 80,000-run jobs,” reports Bennett.
EZ’s maintenance team takes great pride in keeping their four-year-old 920 press and its rollers in tip-top condition, which contributes to minimizing paper waste while maximizing makeready times. On the new eight-color RMGT 970 perfector, crews can change eight plates in three minutes and make ready with less than 150 sheets – “compared to 500 sheets in the ‘old’ days before RMGT,” according to Bennett. For a 176-page book project, 96 plates were changed out during an eight-hour shift!
As Gary Greis, Regional Sales Manager for Graphco, points out: “EZ Mailing’s increasing volumes justified their need for another press.” Greis notes that ease of operation on the new long perfector was another lure for Bennett’s seasoned team, two of whose veteran press operators are in their mid-60s; the third is in his mid-50s. Only loading paper once on the new press saves lots of time with fewer wasted sheets.
“Our relationship with Graphco is great. Most of the gear in our shop came from them and we love the way they support us. I’d highly recommend working with them if you can,” states Bennett. “These RMGT presses just run and run, and our customers love the quality they put out. Best move I ever made.”