In early summer, Superior Lithographics, a Los Angeles-based packaging printer, will be showcasing its new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 145 57-inch seven-color press. With its facility soon increasing in square footage, management was given a window of opportunity to redesign its operational floor plan and place the new press in a premium position right in front of the customer lounge.
“Our new Rapida 145 will be a main attraction at our facility,” said Jeff Ku, Vice President of Operations for Superior. “Customers will be able to see their jobs being printed on the spot on this very impressive press. It builds excitement. Rather than hide our production, we’re selling our culture and our diligence to premium printing. Think of a high-end restaurant where customers can watch their meals being prepared. It’s just like that — very interesting and informative to watch.”
With its cutting edge features, the press will increase capacity at Superior by 40%, estimated Ku. “Speed, quality, and consistency are our calling cards. That’s what has propelled our sales to grow by 16% in one year and find ourselves at capacity even with production running 24/7. We’re seeing growth in both of our main sectors; our existing corrugated market remains strong with 70% of our business even as we push further into the folding carton segment, which makes up 30% of our production.”
Catering its folding cartons to a mix of well-known regional retail food vendors, Superior has adapted to the trend toward short orders and a premium on color consistency. An important consideration on the new Rapida is its 100% inspection system, which “can catch errors that an operator can’t catch between press pulls and ensures that all sheets are alike,” explained Ku. The new Rapida 145 is also Superior’s first seven-color press, providing it with an extra unit that opens doors to new products and increases production flexibility.
Marcus Schoen, Koenig & Bauer sales manager (third from left) is surrounded by the Superior Lithographic management group: (left to right) Jim Eakin, Jared Rounsevelle, Schoen, Jeff Ku, Meghan Simmons, Doug Rawson, Dan Schlegel, and Mike Bouquet.
