Oak Printing, a nearly 100-year-old manufacturer of paper labels, has taken delivery of a new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 PRO 41″ eight-color press at its 55,000 square foot facility in Strongsville, OH, USA, just south of Cleveland. With this investment, Oak Printing is signaling to its clients that it is serious about adding the highest degree of technology in an effort to benefit its customers.

“We produce labels for well-known brands in the country, as well as some specialized start-ups,” says Michael Kisha, Oak’s vice president of manufacturing. “Our labels can be found on millions of paint cans from leading manufacturers, as well as some of the country’s most popular breweries. What differentiates Oak Printing from our competitors is our willingness to go the extra mile for them. What do I mean by that? Take a craft beer manufacturer; they order from us very creative labels expressing their niche beer and expect their labels to communicate its uniqueness and be available when their beer is ready to be bottled. We have to be ready to do whatever it takes to assure they get their beer out to consumers on time. Our motto is to always serve the customer.”

With older non- Koenig & Bauer offset presses on its production floor, Oak was seeking to capitalize on the latest automated technology in the market. After spending a year and a half researching presses–both used and new–and logging nearly 25,000 air miles for various demos and meetings, Kisha made the decision to partner with KBA. “After all,” he says, “this is a key investment for our company and for our customers.”

The Rapida 105 PRO being installed at Oak Printing is equipped with a host of automated Koenig & Bauer technology, which can handle a variety of substrates. Oak primarily uses C1S (Coated One Side) sheets up to 60-70 pounds for its paint can labels and WS material as light as 40 pounds for its craft beer customers.

There were many factors that drove this investment decision, says Kisha, both large and small. Most significantly, Oak will be able to double its capacity with the speed and automation of the new Koenig & Bauer Rapida 105 PRO and continue to grow, possibly to move into new markets. Another consideration was the trusted relationship between KBA North America and Oak Printing. “The sales team was first class,” says Kisha. “They were very professional, responded with urgency to all of our requests, but at the same time did not provide a high pressured sale. Plus, we were impressed with the entire Koenig & Bauer business model: the unique way it manufactures its presses, the firm’s expert service and tech team, as well as the follow-up support. I watched a training session and was impressed with its one-on-one attention to detail.

“What really excited our entire team, including our press operators, is the integrated quality control camera feature on press. This automated system lends itself to getting up to color faster and maintaining color consistency all across the sheet. That’s very important to our customers, many of whom are in the color business. All of our labels have to be consistent across a home center store shelf, grocery aisle or bar.”

In the meantime, Oak Printing will be running the new Koenig & Bauer press as its key workhorse press. “Our labels need to capture a consumer’s attention,” says Kisha. “Designers, especially for the craft brews, are incorporating unusual and surprising designs and images, contrasting colors, decorative and inventive artwork. This new Koenig & Bauer press will enable us to produce those labels faster, more efficiently, and more productively. It’s an exciting time to work at Oak Printing.”