Offset Printing

New Speedmaster CD 102 Press from Heidelberg Helps Allied Printing Expand

Thursday 11. September 2008 - Allied Printing recently turned to Heidelberg for its first foray into the 40-inch market — a new 6-color Speedmaster CD 102 press with coater — and the business results are already apparent.

A general commercial printer in Ferndale, Mich., Allied was founded in 1972 as a letterpress shop with 10 employees. Today it’s a full-service print house with 80 employees providing fulfillment, distribution, mailing and database services, plus digital and offset printing. For Allied, which had a long tradition of running Heidelberg equipment, the decision to stay with Heidelberg was easy. “We’ve always been a Heidelberg shop,” said Tony Pelc, Allied’s vice president of operations. “In our opinion, Heidelberg provides the best quality. We were very comfortable with the technology, the support and the level of service.” Until its latest press installation, the shop had focused on half-size formats. The larger 40-inch press is already paying off in terms of new business. “It has opened up tremendous opportunities for us,” Pelc said. “Fifty percent of what we are running currently we would have never had a shot at before.” Allied also added a new Stahlfolder TH 82 to bring its postpress capabilities in line with the larger format press. “The folder is amazing,” Pelc said. “It is everything we thought it would be.” The shop also runs a Speedmaster SM 74 press and a Stahlfolder folder from Heidelberg. “We’re looking at future growth, and we placed a heavy emphasis on partnering with companies we thought would take us to the next level,” Pelc said. “We’re really comfortable with Heidelberg.”