Companies in North America investing in MPS presses will now have the added benefit of having their presses assembled in the United States. MPS Systems North America Inc. and EMT International in Green Bay, Wis., have partnered for assembling MPS printing presses in the United States and for developing new customized presses for the North American market.

According to Kees Nijenhuis, vice president of MPS Systems North America Inc., this arrangement will give customers a shorter delivery time on their orders as well as more customized solutions specifically fitting the needs of the North American market.

EMT International is a manufacturer of quality equipment for the printing, converting, paper and document processing industries. The company began operations in the 1930s as a tool and die shop for the paper mills and paper converting facilities in Northeast Wisconsin. Today it is a premier manufacturer of finishing equipment and web transports for the digital/ink jet market with nearly 200 employees.

“We believe this partnership will set the bar for the printing press industry in North America,” says Paul Rauscher, CEO of EMT. “Both EMT and MPS focus on building robust and easy to operate high-end machinery for the label and packaging industry. I see this as a perfect fit for both companies, and ultimately our customers. We both focus on high-quality customer solutions and we want to help companies benefit fully from technology. Together, EMT and MPS will deliver this added value to North American printing companies.”

MPS and EMT will be kicking off the strategic partnership with a launching event at EMT International on Tuesday, April 28. The open house will include live demonstrations of MPS’ flagship printing press, the EF. Those wanting to register can do so by going to www.mps4u.com. EMT International is located at 780 Centerline Drive, Hobart (Green Bay), Wisconsin.

The EF printing press is an automated multi-substrate flexo press that offers a choice of either plate rolls or print sleeves, providing the ultimate in flexibility. The EF features both UV and hot-air drying technologies. Furthermore, its web transportation system allows users to print on a variety of substrates including thin film, paper, cartonboard, shrink sleeves, inmold, tube laminate and flexible packaging. The EF features MPS’ exclusive Crisp.Dot and iControl technologies. Crisp.Dot uses a rubber-coated counter-pressure roller to exert equalized pressure resulting in minimal dot gain. The result is that the print dot retains its round shape, the ink coverage is solid and small fonts are sharper. The iControl management and service operator/machine interface minimizes operator errors. Simple, intuitive and stress-free to operate, this technology enables the operator to choose and run individual functions via a touch screen and button, greatly simplifying machine control and operation.

This agreement with EMT International is major step in MPS’ strategic plan for the North American market. Last summer MPS announced it was implementing the plan, which included directives for enhancing sales, installation, service, assembly and consultative services in order to bring more value to its customers. Since that time MPS has started building a best-in-class service organization including local spare parts, introduced the EF for both print sleeves and plate rolls, and partnered with Northern Graphic Solutions Inc. as its distributor of flexo and offset presses in central and eastern Canada. MPS also recently launched a new North American website at www.mps4u.com.

“Our customers throughout the world have had great success with our high-tier presses, with outstanding ROI, superior printing quality, reduced waste and increased efficiencies,” says Nijenhuis. “Our goal is to help our customers excel. We do this by listening closely to their needs and challenges, and then developing solutions that specifically address them. We know its resonating very well in North America, as it’s resulted in several sales to both new and existing customers.”

Left to right: Scott Rauscher (Vice President of Operations EMT), Paul Rauscher (CEO EMT), Wim van den Bosch (CEO MPS), Bert van den Brink (co-founder MPS) and Kees Nijenhuis (Vice President MPS Systems North America)