Unique Sheetfed Offset Press Ups Mittera's Game

Almost anyone can start a commercial printing business these days — all it takes is investment in a press and you can get started. But it takes a savvy company with a strong foundation and passionate people that know when to make the right moves to catapult itself from just another printing business to a printing powerhouse.

Mittera Group, based in Des Moines, Iowa, exemplifies this philosophy to business. With more than 2,000 employees and revenue of more than half a billion dollars annually — driven, in part, by several acquisitions — the privately-held company hasn’t just evolved with the changing times. It’s thrived.

To help stay on top of its game in all those markets it serves, Mittera became one of just two commercial printers worldwide to have a uniquely configured, eight-color 41" Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 PRO sheetfed offset press with a corona treatment tower and two coaters. Installed at its Ronkonkoma, New York, location, it handles sheets up to 29x41", prints eight colors UV, and the two coaters can be used for either aqueous or UV coatings, or flexographic inks. It runs from 3-pt. to 48-pt. stock at speeds up to 17,000 sph.

Unique Press Enables New Applications

Why did Mittera install such a specific press? The answer is mostly for the ability to print on specialty packaging and plastics, as well as to better serve customers in the high security and government spaces, further diversifying its application mix.

“Our Koenig & Bauer printing press is unique to the world and is configured with a corona tower that allows us to control energy levels on multiple impervious substrates” according to Bill Douglas, GM at Mittera Group. “This feature, coupled with Koenig & Bauer’s rainbow fountain, provides the precise control necessary for high-security printing, special effects, and the ability to maintain tight tolerances for tertiary colors.

“Moreover, the onboard camera of our Rapida 105 PRO press is nothing short of astounding in its ability to detect and correct for tight delta errors,” Douglas adds. “Every time we conduct quality control pulls, we are amazed by the consistently low 1 to 2 ∆e deviation that this camera can identify. By utilizing such advanced technology, we can treat printing as the science it is, and ensure that our products meet the highest standards of quality and precision.”

So why this particular press over other options? For this all-Mitsubishi press facility, adding in this specially-configured press from Koenig & Bauer was a leap of faith. While the management team there remains satisfied with their roster of Mitsubishi presses, they realized they needed something a little more specialized.

The fact that the Rapida 105 PRO has the security features that were required — something very few presses in the world offer — was a big consideration. But Douglas also notes that the press was a great value, offering a range of additional features and functions to make it a versatile workhorse that can handle multiple types of applications.

“The configuration of the Koenig & Bauer press was the best fit for addressing the unique needs of our customers,” Douglas points out. “The other press options did not offer the same level of customization, or features, which were necessary for our specific needs.”

This is especially important because Mittera prides itself on the high quality work it produces for every customer, no matter what segment they’re in. Being able to maintain those standards, while speeding up the operation was a huge consideration when choosing the press. “With the addition of the Rapida 105 PRO, we can maintain the exceptional quality we’re renowned for, while achieving a higher level of productivity,” he says. “With faster makereadies and higher speeds, we can produce more high-quality output in less time, which allows us to meet the growing demands of our clients without sacrificing quality.”

And it’s not a small operation, or just a few customers that Mittera will serve with the new press now that it’s operational. “Our focus is on delivering communication solutions to many Fortune 500 companies through our platform of integrated mailing and marketing services that span 12 states and 20 locations across the nation,”
Mittera CEO Jon Troen explains.

Some of the markets the company serves include retail, financial services, automotive, government, travel, and higher education, among others, with applications that span direct mail, custom publications, marketing portals, wide-format signage, kitting, fulfillment, and distribution.

“Additionally, our lux printing division specializes in display and packaging products for luxury cosmetic brands,” Troen adds. “We pride ourselves on being leaders in the industry, standing out through our technology adaptation and innovative personnel.” And all of this will be faster and more efficient, while maintaining as high — or higher — quality. The Rapida 105 PRO is enabling Mittera to truly serve its entire customer base far better than it ever has before, allowing it to continue to grow and evolve right alongside those brands and organizations.

Continued Growth Is Still on the Horizon

The eight-color, 41" Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 PRO press — equipped with a corona tower and two coaters — is one of just two presses configured with this blend of features worldwide. Photo courtesy of Mittera.

The company certainly hasn’t become the force it is today by chance. Rather, it was a combination of making the right moves at the right times, having the right people on board, and knowing when to diversify, when to upgrade, and even when to acquire new partners and businesses.

“Mittera’s growth has been amplified by our dedicated M&A strategy,” Troen points out. “A big part of our ongoing strategy is to look for consolidation opportunities throughout the industry. As fragmented as the printing industry continues to be, we see a lot of opportunity to join forces with other print businesses to offer customers a more comprehensive value proposition and complete set of marketing solutions,” he adds.

For Douglas, the ability to stay nimble and follow opportunities, despite how large the business has grown, is a key element of success — both today and in the future. “As with any other business, the printing industry requires constant adaptation to change or you risk becoming obsolete,” he notes. “The customer-focused leadership at Mittera has enabled us to continually invest and diversify our offerings to meet the changing needs of our clients. By staying ahead of the curve and being proactive, we can provide a wider range of products and services that not only meet current demands, but also position us for future growth and success.

But it’s about more than just having the right technologies. Success, Douglas stresses, can’t happen without also having the right people in place. You can have the best presses, and the best customers, but if you don’t also have the best people in place, the whole thing will fall apart, he points out.

“Our long-standing success is not solely due to our equipment, technology, or locations, but rather the employee culture we have built,” Douglas says. “Our greatest accomplishment is creating a strong and dedicated team, with 80% having been with us for 25 years or more. This culture has been vital to our survival and growth, and it sets us apart from other companies.

“With our recent growth, we continue to add new services and capabilities, which in turn means that we have more opportunities for our employees to grow within our organization” he adds.

“We continue to see the commitment and dedication of our long-standing employees as they invest their time and learned talents into the new generation of leaders. It has been critical for us to provide proper training programs and career paths to enhance and uplift this culture. Without it, we would not have been able to experience the growth we have over the years,” Douglas admits.

At the end of the day, every element must come together and work in perfect harmony to have a printing organization get as large and successful as Mittera has become. By focusing on people, diversifying both its offerings and the vertical markets it serves, and investing in the right technologies when needed, Mittera is demonstrating what it means to strive for excellence on every level.

“Our success is not accidental, but rather the result of having a great foundation that’s built on being responsive to change,” Douglas explains. “As our industry continues to evolve, our leadership teams are actively involved with our clients and have a great presence at our physical locations. They take the time to understand our business challenges and continue to listen to our front lines by investing in critical infrastructure to help us remain competitive and optimize our daily workflows.”

“It’s important to keep moving forward in any industry, as staying the same means going backwards,” he concludes.