Offset Printing

The Best Alternative to A New Heidelberg Is A Pre-Owned Heidelberg

Thursday 19. February 2015 - Heidelberg USA reports that U.S. sales of its remarketed equipment have risen by 40 percent since 2012, driven by Heidelberg's outstanding value proposition.

The increase in demand is the result of an increase in availability of quality machines from the European Union. What gives Heidelberg a substantial leg-up in the market for pre-owned machines that meet the highest quality and performance standards, however, is the company’s reputation for quality and service, as well as its intimate historical knowledge of every piece of equipment in its pre-owned inventory.
“When you buy a piece of used equipment, you have to know who is standing behind your product,” said Bill Murphy, VP Operations and Remarketed Equipment for Heidelberg USA. “Heidelberg is plugged into a vast international network that’s tightly coordinated via electronic database, and in constant communication regarding availability, and technical issues like impression count and service history, including the exclusive use of Heidelberg Original Parts. Heidelberg offers only machines we know and have serviced. This translates to the kind of faith in a machine that’s money in the bank for a prospective owner. We won’t put a Heidelberg contract on a machine we don’t trust.”
What’s in A Name? Plenty.
A Heidelberg will always be a Heidelberg—even if it changes owners during its lifetime. Just ask the Spectrum Marketing Companies in Manchester, N.H., which sought Heidelberg’s help in locating and installing a pre-owned, 2011 Speedmaster XL 75 8-color 4/4 perfector with Axis Control to replace an earlier model Heidelberg Speedmaster, also pre-owned. Spectrum’s objective was to turn work more quickly and respond to market demands. The company’s primary focus as an organization is the design, production and logistics related to direct mail marketing. It also provides a wide range of general commercial printing products, including brochures, catalogs, flyers and marketing materials of all types.
Spectrum goes to market as an integrated marketing services company with a focus on direct marketing. The company provides additional commercial printing services, such that the print components of direct mail and other print-related products represent approximately over 75 percent of its overall revenue. Clients include a variety of businesses and market segments, including retail, health and fitness, political, non-profit, education, quick-serve restaurants, advertising agencies and more, throughout New Hampshire and across the country. Within each of these general categories, Spectrum also has additional areas of focus and specialization, including retail-furniture, retail-automotive, national associations such as the Boy Scouts of America, and a large number of national franchise groups.
“Our ‘new’ pre-owned machine came to us directly from the existing owner, but Heidelberg coordinated everything on both sides,” said Brian Mikol, Spectrum’s Co-President. “Our primary goals were increased speed, improved quality and the need to gain a higher level of control over color and other general attributes. We felt these improvements also would lead to reduced cost of production and improved profit margins. Since it was installed in July of last year, the Speedmaster XL 75 has met all of these objectives.”
Happiness Is…
Mikol credits Heidelberg with fielding a team of experts capable of guiding the company’s purchase decision. “Heidelberg’s assistance in making a thorough evaluation of the equipment in line with our business requirements was critical in helping us feel comfortable with the transaction,” he said. “Having the manufacturer involved throughout the process gave us a very high level of confidence, given the significant financial investment and the critical nature of its contribution to our business.”
In the end, “The installation process was relatively quick and issue-free,” Mikol said. “This was essential, since we already had removed our primary press to allocate the required space. We are very happy with the press, as well as with Heidelberg’s service and general support throughout the entire process.”
An Invaluable Value Proposition
Heidelberg understands that when budgets are tight, it isn’t always feasible to purchase a new machine. For the Spectrum Marketing Companies,
“The value proposition offered by the pre-owned unit was viewed as stronger than purchasing a brand new press,” Mikol said “As a diverse business requiring a wide range of equipment purchases in the same period, the pre-owned unit has enabled us to purchase additional equipment in other areas that further diversified our capabilities.”
The owner of a remarketed Heidelberg press not only gains a machine that will retain its value over time, but also benefits from the print media industry’s most comprehensive support network, including the timely availability of parts and service packages flexibly configured to the owner’s needs. Whether they choose to source pre-owned equipment directly from Heidelberg, or are contemplating a trade-in, customers know they are working with a committed partner whose long history, technical competence, and passion for print they can trust.