COUNT Printing Equipment Finishes the Job Right Martin Yale Industries (Booth 2917) launched the Count KF-200 and iCrease Pro +. In addition to the existing print t ering 0 Knife o COUNT f 00 for fi nishing creasers, folders, perforating, and numbering machines, COUNT is now offering the KF-200 Knife Folder. The KF-200 is a perfect companion to COUNT branded creasers as well as many other brands of creasing equipment. With its advanced touchscreen control, the KF-200 is excellent for users who want to add in-line folding of digital media for a clean fold without cracking or bending heavy stock. The COUNT iCrease Pro + is the only desktop size machine available on the market for both creasing and perforating. With 11 different folds and four custom options, it can crease and perforate in a sin single pass without the need to manually re-feed the paper into the machine after creasing. In 2015, COUNT Machinery was acquired by Martin Yale Industries, LLC. Through this acquisition, sition,Mar Martin Yale expanded its already robust product line of offi ce and print shop equipment and accessories to now include pri nish COUNT print fi nishing equipment. Martin Yale Industries President, Greg German says, “C COUNT machines are manufactured in the USA, which means they they come with the best quality and technical support in the industry.” industry COUNT products are also backed by the industry-leading COUNT 3x3 warranty, meaning every COUNT print fi nishing product is protected for three years against mechanical failure and three years on electrical failure. clean p machine rforating.11 ease p 3x3 pr KF-200 Xeikon Touts New Direction and Company’s Successes At the Xeikon press conference, held Sunday at its booth (2849), company executives offered insightful announcements about the company’s new directions and customer successes. Filip Weymans shows the quality of Xeikon's digital press. First to take the microphone, Filip Weymans, recently named as Xeikon’s new Vice President of Marketing, explained his expanded role with the company. “Some of you have seen me as the person responsible for marketing the label and packaging side,” he said. “Some felt this means Xeikon is migrating into the label and packaging side and leaving document printing behind. That is not the case. In my new role I have to strike a real balance. Sixty percent of our customers are still in the document space, including the commercial arena.” Of those in documents, commercial printing makes up 29%, with direct mail (23%) comprising another large percentage. The remaining 48% is divided equally between book printing, security, leafl ets, and wall decorations. Noting that changing the future is often reliant on technology, Weymans next turned to Xeikon’s recent unveiling of Trillium One. Boasting Trillium’s liquid toner technology, the product bridges the gap between quality, speed, and cost effectiveness, taking digital printing into a new era and opening new business opportunities to users. Trillium prints 1,200 variable dot density with a print width of 19.7 feet. It offers speeds of 200 fpm, and recycles unused toner and carrier. “Trillium One is for those looking for high speeds, lower costs, and much faster speeds, Weymans said, displaying a pair of Virtual Reality glasses that he said would allow the user to experience the feeling of walking inside the Trillium Press. “It’s much different from traditional presses,” he said, adding, “Expect commercial availability in the second quarter of next year.” Xeikon is also promoting new color services, which Weymans visually underscored by fanning the multi-hued swatches in a swatch book. As an example of his company’s color capabilities, he showed off a direct mail piece created on a Xeikon 9800, a product at the high end of the company’s press portfolio. “It shows the capability of the ‘fi fth color.’ Super Black plus CMYK creates a dense black that stands out from others.” Up next, Vice President of Sales and Marketing David Wilkins reported that the highest compliment Xeikon has received lately has been the support from one dozen customers who came back to Xeikon for a third or fourth purchase after reviewing the marketplace and deciding they were best staying loyal because their Xeikon press put more money into their pockets. An example is Des Moines-based Colorfx, which recently added a Xeikon 9800 to go with its Xeikon 8800. The company’s eyes are on boosting production volume of cost-effective variable data pieces. “We’re proud they bought a second press and extremely proud they’re taking out one of our competitors.” Wilkins said in closing. Obi Wan-a Job: The Workforce Awakens Attracting young people to graphic arts is an industry imperative. The future is bright for young people looking for a career in graphic arts, but the printing industry has its work cut out for if it is going to recruit the best and brightest. “Obi Wan-a Job: The Workforce Awakens”, a Printerverse (Booth 701) panel held Sunday, took a look at what it would take to fi nd candidates for printing. With a number of printing students in the audience, a panel of experts explained what the industry is going to have to do to attract young candidates. Vanecia Carr, Director of Marketing, Domtar, and a “millennial” herself, warned prospective employers not to stereotype the cohort. “Companies need to learn to how to deal with all generations and make sure they understand the value to the organization. Millennials bring value with the knowledge they have of new technology.” While the impression may be that the printing industry isn’t diverse, John Berthelsen, VP of Development, PGSF (Booth 563), reported that more than 50% of the students receiving print and graphic scholarships were women. There are opportunities for everyone, but part of the problem is graphic arts isn’t promoted to young people. “School administrators aren’t hearing from the graphics industry that they have a need until it is too late and the program has been eliminated,” said Berthelsen. “The industry needs to be building relationships with schools who offer print programs.” Joanne Gore, Director of Marketing, Avanti Systems (Booth 1879), told students in the audience to get on LinkedIn and start developing contacts. “Think of yourself as a product,” she said. “Do things to help you get remembered such as sending a handwritten thank-you note after an interview.” Brian Regan, President, Semper International, offered practical advice on resume writing. “Don’t just send in a resume to an employer. You need to put it into context with what type of position you want and A panel of experts explained what the industry has to do to attract young candidates. why you are applying.” Programming and Web knowledge are important skills that employers are starting to demand, Helene Smith, Strategic Counsel, arifi Q Development (Booth 618) told the students. Knowing the printing process as well as social media and marketing would make them more valuable. Offi cial Show Daily | PrintingNews.com GRAPH EXPO 16 | September 27, 2016 | 15
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