MBO America

drupa will see a host of new perfect binder entries all designed to smooth the finishing workflow for both inkjet- and toner-based digital presses. All of these machines can either run in-line with the press, or in a near-line configuration.

Instead of seeing a gaggle of tire kickers, the printers and trade finishers who perused McCormick Place South during Graph Expo 2011 had more sober intentions. There is clearly pent-up demand in the marketplace, particularly for finishing equipment.

Want an honest, open, unbiased and unfettered report on the quantity and quality of visitors who haunted the binding and finishing booths during Graph Expo earlier this month? Fact of the matter is, no such beast exists. Here are some observations that have two sides to them, and may or may not represent the truth.

The Binding Industries Association (BIA), the preeminent organization for the graphic finishing and custom loose-leaf manufacturing industry, announced today its 2009 Product of Excellence Awards (POE) winners. From around the world, companies submitted their best work to be judged against that of their peers.

Despite bleak worldwide economic news that had dominated the media in the preceding weeks, GRAPH EXPO® 2008 exceeded expectations and enjoyed brisk business. While overall attendance was down 12.5 percent over the record-setting GRAPH EXPO 2007 show, interested qualified buyers from 8,800 individual companies—marking a slight increase in the number of unique companies over last year's show.

Countless binding and finishing technology providers were candid in their positive assessments of how the scene went down in McCormick Place South. It wasn’t all cartwheels and champagne popping, but this year’s Graph Expo did exceed the expectations of many.

OF ALL the avenues a general commercial printer can take for increasing its profit margin, raising prices to customers is the one option that isn’t likely to produce the desired results. Indeed, it takes a hearty printer to compete in the general commercial realm—one more apt to accept smaller margins, offer a full array of services, become the low-cost provider and be able to find ways to drive costs out of the system. Oh, and don’t forget quality. The implication is that quality is sometimes winked at in low-cost scenarios. . .your competition wants you to believe that. All of the aforementioned outlets are

Allegra Names Heidelberg USA ‘Supplier of the Year’ Winner NORTHVILLE, MI—Allegra Network honored Heidelberg USA with the Supplier of the Year award at its 2008 Allegra Network convention. Allegra Network franchise members vote to choose the winner. In April 2007, Heidelberg served as host for Allegra Network’s annual summit trip to Heidelberg, Germany. More than 160 of Allegra Network’s top franchise members participated in the event. The Allegra Network consists of Allegra Print & Imaging, American Speedy Printing Centers, Insty-Prints and Signs Now. Multi-City Road Show Deemed a Success MINNEAPOLIS, MN—Buhrs Americas and Lake Image Systems teamed up and headed for the road

DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY—The foundation of MBO’s drupa theme – Speed up your business – was realized with the introduction of 2 (two) new buckle folding machines into MBO’s economical Efficiency series. Both a basic model and an automated version of the T 535 (21”) folder are now available with numerous options and customization. T 535 Efficiency for high volumes The new T 535 Efficiency buckle folding machine offers an attractive price-performance ratio and the high quality traditionally associated with MBO. The advantages of the Efficiency series translate to increased workflow in the half-size segment for printers, binderies and even book binders that

THE PRODUCTION workflow chain can be lonely toward the back end, particularly when your company specializes in mailing services. Not to mention frustrating, infuriating and a few more colorful terms. When mailing’s the name of your game, there are usually one or more vendors ahead of you in the production of a job, pushing the acceptable boundaries of deadlines. The job finally arrives in your shop; it should have been mailed yesterday; and now you are left to pick up the pieces. You either shrug and concede it to be the nature of the beast, or decide that maybe the tail end of the